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CI  39  (5/97)                                                                          UCSDLib. 

THE 

LIFE    AND    LETTERS 

OF 

JAMES    MARTINEAU 


THE 

LIFE  AND  LETTERS 


OF 


JAMES   MARTINEAU 

LL.D.,  S.T.D.,  Etc. 


BY 


JAMES   DRUMMOND,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  Hon.  Litt.D. 

^y Principal  of  Manchester  College,   Oxford 

AUTHOR    OF    THE    HIBBERT    LECTURES,     "VIA,    VERITAS,    VITA  "     AND 
OTHER    WORKS 


AND    A   SURVEY    OF    HIS    PHILOSOPHICAL  WORK 

BY 

C.  B.  UPTON,  B.A.,  B.Sc. 

Professor  of  Philosophy  in   Manchester   College,  Oxford 

AUTHOR    OF    THE    HIBBERT    LECTURES-   ON    "THE    BASES    OF 

RELIGIOUS     belief" 


WITH     PORTRAITS 


in  two  volumes 
Vol.  L 


NEW  YORK 

DODD,  MEAD   AND   COMPANY 

1902 


Copyright,  igo2. 
By  Dodd,  Mead  and  Company 

First  edition  published  September,  1902 


<i 


f 


UNIVERSITY    PRESS      •    JOHN   WILSON 
AND     SON      •      CAMBRIDGE,     U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE    TO    BOOK    I 

THE    LIFE    AND    LETTERS 

When  I  was  asked  by  the  family  of  the  late  Dr.  Martineau 
to  write  the  purely  biographical  portion  of  the  composite 
work  which  is  here  presented  in  its  completeness,  it  was 
with  considerable  trepidation  that  I  undertook  a  task  for 
which  I  was  conscious  of  no  special  aptitude,  but  which  I 
at  once  felt  it  to  be  impossible  to  decline.  With  the  aid 
of  material  abundantly  supplied  or  carefully  collected,  both 
in  print  and  manuscript,  I  have  constructed  a  tale  un- 
adorned except  by  inserted  fragments  of  writing  from  the 
pen  of  Dr.  Martineau,  and  can  claim  no  higher  merit  than 
presenting  to  the  reader  the  leading  facts  of  a  busy  and 
noble  life  with  clearness  and  accuracy.  A  portion  of  the 
narrative  has  the  advantage  of  being  autobiographical ; 
for  Dr.  Martineau  wrote  a  series  of  "  Biographical  Memo- 
randa "  to  assist  his  friend  the  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed  in 
the  preparation  of  a  short  Memoir  for  the  "  National  Por- 
trait Gallery,"  published  by  Messrs.  Cassell,  Petter,  and 
Galpin,  in  1877.  Considerable  portions  of  these  were  used, 
often  with  very  slight  verbal  changes,  by  Mr.  Wicksteed; 
but,  with  the  ready  consent  of  the  firm,  the  greater  part  of 
these  Memoranda  now  appears  in  the  original  form,  a  good 
deal  being  included  which  Mr.  Wicksteed  did  not  find  suit- 


PREFACE    TO    BOOK    I 

able  for  his  purpose.  Occasionally  I  have  used  them  simply 
for  material,  and  this  fact  may  explain  any  appearance  of 
plagiarism  from  the  account  in  the  "  Portrait  Gallery." 

The  circum-stances  of  Dr.  Martineau's  life  have  rendered 
it  necessary  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  some  transactions 
which  may  have  little  interest  for  the  general  public,  but 
had  the  higliest  importance  for  himself  and  his  friends. 
On  the  other  hand,  considerations  of  space  have  obliged 
me  to  omit  many  things  which  those  who  were  personally 
associated  with  him  might  have  wished  to  include.  Espe- 
cially has  it  been  necessary  to  make  rather  a  severe  selec- 
tion from  the  great  mass  of  letters  placed  at  my  disposal. 
I  have  tried  to  select  those  which  are  most  characteristic, 
and  throw  most  light  upon  his  thought;  and  I  must  crave 
the  indulgence  of  many  for  having  omitted  letters  which 
to  themselves  must  have  been  peculiarly  valuable.  To 
several  correspondents  I  must  make  my  grateful  acknow- 
ledgments for  the  ready  kindness  and  courtesy  with  which 
they  have  imparted  information  or  supplied  me  with  mate- 
rial, or  permitted  me  to  make  use  of  letters  of  which  they 
were  custodians.  In  one  or  two  instances  I  have  ventured, 
without  authorisation,  to  insert  or  to  quote  from  an  ancient 
letter,  having  failed  to  discover  any  representatives  of  the 
recipients  to  give  the  customary  sanction,  but  have  in- 
cluded nothing  to  which  I  thought  exception  could  pos- 
sibly be  taken. 

I  have  not  thought  it  the  duty  of  a  biographer  to  express 
his  own  sentiments  or  opinions,  and  have  aimed  only  at 
producing  a  true  narrative,  leaving  to  others  the  work  of 
analysis  and  criticism.  The  name  of  James  Martineau 
has  been  with  me  a  household  word  since  my  childhood. 

vi 


PREFACE    TO    BOOK    I 

The  spiritual  character  of  his  thought  fascinated  me  at  an 
early  period;  and  when  I  became  his  pupil,  I  admired  and 
revered  him  with  all  the  ardour  of  opening  manhood.  And 
if,  yielding  to  his  own  lessons  of  independent  judgment,  I 
have  been  unable  to  follow  him  in  all  his  conclusions,  or 
if  in  my  descriptions  I  have  endeavoured  to  suppress  all 
personal  feeling,  this  cannot  alter  the  reverence,  gratitude, 
and  love  with  which  he  must  ever  dwell  in  my  memory. 

JAMES    DRUMMOND 

Oxford,  May  14,  1902. 


Vll 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I 


BOOK  I 

LIFE     AND     LETTERS 

Chapter  Page 

I.   Childhood  and  Early  Home,  1805-1814  .  i 

II.   Education,  1815-1827 16 

III.  First  Settlement  and  Beginning  of  Min- 

isterial Life,   18  27-1 832 44 

IV.  Paradise  Street,   1832-1848 71 

V.  The  Continent,  1848- 1849 181 

VI.   Hope  Street,  1849-185 7 194 

VII.  Professorship  in  London,  i 857-1 869     .    .  351 


Book  I 

LIFE  AND   LETTERS 


LIFE  OF  DR.  MARTINEAU 

Chapter  I 

CHILDHOOD    AND    EARLY    HOME,   1805-1814 

In  the  city  of  Norwich  there  is  a  narrow  thoroughfare 
bearing  the  name  of  Magdalen  Street,  wherein  stands  a 
plain  brick  house  of  three  stories,  bearing  the  number  24. 
The  front  of  this  house,  which  faces  eastwards,  abuts  upon 
the  footway,  and  is  truly  described  as  "  prosaic  to  the  last 
degree  "  ;  ^  but  the  interior  is  commodious  and  comfortable. 
Each  of  the  shafts  which  project  from  the  jambs  of  the 
hall  door  now  presents  to  the  eye  of  the  curious  visitor  the 
name  of  "  Martineau  House."  To  the  left  of  the  house 
is  an  arched  passage  wide  enough  for  carts,  which  wunds 
round  the  rear,  and  gives  access  to  some  works  which  pro- 
ject behind  the  buildings  in  the  street.  The  dwelling-house 
is  thus  separated  from  its  small  and  narrow  garden,  which 
is  entered  by  a  gate  opening  from  the  little  lane.  This 
garden  now  wears  a  dingy  and  neglected  appearance,  but 
may  well  have  been  more  attractive  in  the  early  part  of 
the  last  century.  If  the  visitor,  returning  from  the  gar- 
den, ascend  to  the  top  rooms,  he  may  obtain  glimpses  of 
Mousehold  Heath  between  the  chimneys  and  gables  of  the 
opposite  houses,  and  on  looking  obliquely  to  the  right  will 
obtain  a  fine  view  of  the  beautiful  tower  and  spire  of  the 
cathedral.     The  situation  is  conveniently  near  the  principal 


1  "  Harriet  Martineau's  Autobiography,  with  Memorials  by  Maria  Weston 
Chapman,"  3  vols.,  1877  ;  I.  p.  1S4.     (This  work  will  be  cited  as  H.  M.  Aut.) 
I  I 


CHILDHOOD  [1805-1814 

part  of  the  city;  and  not  far  off,  in  an  adjoining  street, 
is  the  Octagon  Chapel,  where  Dr.  Taylor  advocated  his 
broad  and  unsectarian  Christianity.  It  was  in  this  house 
in  Magdalen  Street  that  on  the  21st  of  April,  1805,  a 
little  girl,  not  quite  three  years  old,  was  admitted  to  the 
best  bedroom,  and  with  some  awe  and  trepidation  crossed 
the  polished  floor,  and  took  her  seat  beside  "  an  unknown 
old  woman,  in  a  mob  cap,",  who  placed  across  her  knees 
a  bundle  of  flannel,  and,  opening  it,  displayed  the  tiny  face 
of  a  baby.^  The  little  girl  was  Harriet  Martineau,  and  the 
baby  was  her  brother  James.  These  two  were  the  sixth 
and  seventh  children,  James  being  the  fourth  son;  and 
the  family  circle  was  completed  by  the  birth  of  an  eighth, 
a  daughter,  named  Ellen,  in  181 1. 

The  name  of  Martineau  indicates  a  French  descent.  It 
is  said  that  the  earliest  known  Martineau  w^as  Louis,  who 
was  apprenticed  to  one  of  the  original  printers  of  Germany, 
and  afterwards  established  at  the  Sorbonne  one  of  the  first 
printing  presses  in  France.  He  married  a  German  Luth- 
eran, and  through  this  connection  his  descendants  became 
Protestants.^  The  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  on 
the  22d  of  October,  1685,  led  to  a  considerable  migration 
of  French  Protestants  into  England;  and  among  others 
Gaston  Martineau,  a  surgeon  of  Dieppe,  removed  to  Nor- 
wich. He  married  a  French  lady  named  Pierre,  so  that 
at  first  the  family  retained  the  purity  of  its  foreign  ex- 
traction. The  profession  of  this  founder  of  the  English 
branch  of  the  Martineaus  became  to  some  extent  hereditary. 
In  the  records  of  the  French  Church  at  Norwich  we  twice 
meet  with  the  name  of  David  Martineau  entered  as  that 
of  an  eminent  surgeon.^  Philip  Meadows  Martineau,  the 
uncle  of  James,  was  also  distinguished;    and  within  the 


1  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.''i3  sq. 

2  From  a  manuscript  note  among  the  Martineau  papers. 

•  Both  died  young,  aged  32  and  42.     Smiles,  "  Huguenots,"  p. 

2 


X805-I8I4]  PARENTS 

family  in  Magdalen  Street  the  eldest  son  devoted  himself 
to  the  ancestral  calling. 

It  is  interesting  to  know  something  of  the  parentage  of 
two  such  remarkable  people  as  have  given  a  lasting  dis- 
tinction to  the  name  of  Martineau.  Their  father,  Thomas, 
was  the  youngest  of  a  large  family,  and  carried  on  the 
business  of  a  bombazine  and  camlet  manufacturer,  and,  it 
seems,  did  some  little  business  also  in  the  importation  of 
wine  for  his  friends.^  He  is  described  as  "  a  man  of  more 
tenderness  and  moral  refinement  than  force  of  self-asser- 
tion," ^  and  his  daughter  speaks  of  him  as  "  the  most  un- 
selfish of  men,  who  never  spoke  of  his  own  feelings,  and 
always  considered  other  people's."  "  In  our  remembrance 
of  him,"  she  says,  "  there  is  no  pain  on  the  ground  of 
anything  in  his  character.  Humble,  simple,  upright,  self- 
denying,  affectionate  to  as  many  people  as  possible,  and 
kindly  to  all,  he  gave  no  pain,  and  did  all  the  good  he 
could.  He  had  not  the  advantage  of  an  adequate  educa- 
tion; but  there  was  a  natural  shrewdness  about  him  which 
partly  compensated  for  the  want.  He  was  not  the  less, 
but  the  more,  anxious  to  give  his  children  the  advantages 
which  he  had  never  received;  and  the  whole  family  have 
always  felt  that  they  owe  a  boundless  debt  of  gratitude 
to  both  their  parents  for  the  self-sacrificing  efforts  they 
made,  through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  the  times,  to  fit  their 
children  in  the  best  possible  manner  for  independent  action 
in  life."  3 

Mr.  Thomas  Martineau  married  Elizabeth  Rankin,  the 
eldest  daughter  of  Mr.  Robert  Rankin,  a  wholesale  grocer 
and  sugar-refiner,  of  Newcastle  upon  Tyne.  She  "  was  per- 
haps the  most  capable  member  of  a  family  whose  standard 

1  Dr.  Martineau  calls  him  a  "wine-merchant"  in  his  "Biographical  Memo- 
randa" written  in  1877;  but  I  am  told  that  this,  without  explanation,  gives 
rather  an  incorrect  impression.  —  J.  D. 

2  Bi.  Mem. 

*  H.  M.  Aut,  I.  p.  127. 

3 


CHILDHOOD  [1805-1814 

of  ability  and  character  was  above  the  average.  Of  great 
energy  and  quickness  of  resource  .  .  .  she  naturally  played 
the  chief  part  in  the  government  of  the  household,  though 
always  supported  by  the  authority  and  admiration  of  her 
husband.  Her  children  were  trained  in  wholesome  habits 
and  clever  arts,  and  stimulated  by  her  sparkling  talk."  ^ 
Speaking  from  recollection  in  his  old  age  Dr.  Martineau 
gives  the  following  description  of  his  mother :  "  Her  un- 
derstanding was  clear,  and  her  will,  with  a  duty  once 
in  sight,  not  to  be  diverted;  but  behind  these,  and  giving 
them  their  direction,  was  an  inexhaustible  force  of  affec- 
tion ;  and  not  behind  them  only,  but  glowing  through  them 
in  her  expressive  features  and  fervent  words.  A  slight 
and  delicate  portrait  of  her  is  before  me,  from  the  pencil 
of  a  young  artist  friend  ^  who  had  an  eye  to  read  her  truly ; 
and  no  one  can  fail  to  see  that  its  calm  dignity  is  but  the 
momentary  composure  of  a  countenance  moulded  by  emo- 
tion, and  often  tremulous  with  pity  and  with  love."  Her 
"  quickness  of  feeling  extended,  no  doubt,  to  her  temper,  so 
far  as  to  render  her  displeasure  at  wrong  emphatic,  and 
to  warn  us  also,  if  we  did  not  wish  to  be  laughed  at,  to 
do  nothing  awkward  or  stupid  under  her  eye.  But  it  se- 
cured no  less  the  praise  of  well-doing,  and  a  bright  response 
to  whatever  was  generous  and  noble."  And  so  he  looked 
back  with  unalterable  reverence  and  affection  to  his  "  true 
and  tender-hearted  mother  —  a  woman  of  rare  capacity, 
nobleness,  and  wisdom."  ^  Mrs.  James  Martineau,  in  a 
letter  to  her  sister,  written  on  the  22d  of  November,  1838, 
speaks  with  the  greatest  pleasure  of  her  intercourse  with 
her  mother-in-law,  who  was  then  on  a  visit  in  Liverpool, 
and  says,  *'  She  is  a  glorious  woman,  and  I  delight  in  her 
as  much  as  ever."     In  1836,  when  Harriet  Martineau  re- 


1  Bi.  Mem. 

2  Mr.  Hilary  "Bonham  Carter,  who  had  a  great  admiration  for  her. 
^  Letter  to  the  "  Daily  News,"  Dec.  30,  1884. 

4 


DR.     MARTINEAU  S    MOTHER 

1845- 6 

FROM    A    SKETCH    BY    MISS    HILARY    BONHAM-CARTEK 


I805-18I4]  PARENTS 

turned  from  America,  Mrs.  Martineau  was  a  guest  at  Mount 
Street  in  Liverpool,  and  a  letter  of  the  time  dwells  with 
delight  on  Harriet's  visit,  and  on  her  mother's  pride  in 
her,  "  looking  as  if  her  every  wish  were  fulfilled." 

It  would  not,  however,  be  just  to  conceal  the  fact  that 
a  different  kind  of  portrait  has  been  drawn  of  this  con- 
fessedly talented  lady,  and  that  occasionally  timid  and 
sensitive  young  people  regarded  her  decided  ways  with 
some  alarm.  This,  however,  was  not  a  universal  experi- 
ence, as  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  of  Mrs.  Wilde's 
will  show :  — 

"  Surely  never  was  any  parent  more  imbued  with  Motherly 
love.  It  was  she  who  brought  your  talents  all  forth,  and  made 
you  what  you  were.  She  was  particularly  and  deservedly 
proud  of  your  brother  Tom,  Harriet,  and  yourself.  Well  do 
I  remember  you  a  little  fellow,  in  nankeen  frock,  standing 
at  her  knee,  engaged  with  her  in  a  tiresome  little  housekeep- 
ing job.  The  little  fingers  ached,  and  the  spirit  flagged,  when 
suddenly  the  lisping  voice  repeated  two  lines  of  a  well-known 
hymn,  and  you  resumed  your  work  with  renewed  energy. 
She  took  no  notice  to  you,  but  looked  up  to  me  with  eyes 
brimming  over  with  tears,  as  seeing  the  future  man  in  that 
childlike  determination.  I  was  a  great  deal  at  Norwich  from 
the  age  of  twelve  to  eighteen,  first  at  school  and  afterwards 
on  visits ;  and  though  I  was  received  with  great  kindness  by 
all  three  of  my  aunts,  it  was  in  Magdalen  Street  that  I  felt 
the  most  at  my  ease.  I,  shy,  stupid  girl  that  I  was,  was  never 
afraid  of  your  mother."  ^ 

But  it  is  frequently  the  case  with  clever  people  that  prin- 
ciples of  conduct  which  are  entirely  kind  and  unselfish  are 
concealed  by  the  decision  and  promptness  of  their  actions, 


1  Letter  to  Dr.  Martineau,  Dec.  31,  1884.  It  is  said  that  the  lines  were  from 
Mrs.  Barbauld's  hymn :  — 

"  The  man  of  Calvary  triumphed  here  ;  — 
Why  should  his  faithful  followers  fear?  " 

Other  letters,  written  by  different  people  about  the  same  time,  containing 
recollections  of  her,  bear  testimony  to  her  brightness  and  lovableness,  com- 
bined with  weight  of  moral  and  intellectual  character. 

5 


CHILDHOOD  [1805-1814 

and  that  in  consequence  they  are  sometimes  greatly  mis- 
judged. Within  the  household  in  Magdalen  Street  the 
severity  of  Puritan  training  still  lingered,  though  perhaps 
it  was  less  marked  than  in  some  other  families;  and 
Harriet  Martineau,  who  was  an  abnormally  sensitive  child, 
delicate  in  health,  and  always  longing  for  demonstrative 
tokens  of  affection,  chafed  against  this  strictness.  It  is 
easy  to  collect  from  the  pages  of  her  Autobiography  pas- 
sages which,  taken  by  themselves,  give  a  repellent  picture 
of  her  mother;  but  this  is  unjust  both  to  the  mother  and 
to  the  daughter,  and  the  Autobiography  as  a  whole  does 
not  lay  the  latter  open  to  the  charge  of  disloyalty  and  in- 
gratitude to  which  injudicious  friends  have  exposed  her. 
That  there  was  a  difference  of  temperament  which,  espe- 
cially in  Harriet's  childhood,  prevented  a  mutual  under- 
standing, does  not  lay  either  of  them  open  to  blame. 
According  to  the  Autobiography  the  gentle  and  unselfish 
father  was  likewise  unable  to  read  the  heart  of  the  young 
genius  committed  to  his  care.  "  I  doubt,"  says  Miss  Mar- 
tineau, "  whether  they  [her  parents]  ever  had  the  slightest 
idea  of  my  miseries.  It  seems  to  me  now  that  a  little  closer 
observation  would  have  shown  them  the  causes  of  the  bad 
health  and  fitful  temper  which  gave  them  so  much  anxiety 
on  my  account."  ^  At  a  later  time,  when  the  girl  was 
growing  to  maturity,  she  says,  under  the  year  1820:  "  My 
mother,  too,  took  me  into  her  confidence  more  and  more 
as  my  mind  opened,  and,  I  may  add,  as  my  deafness  in- 
creased, and  bespoke  for  me  her  motherly  sympathy.  For 
some  years,  indeed,  there  was  a  genuine  and  cordial  friend- 
ship between  my  mother  and  me,  which  was  a  benefit  to 
me  in  all  manner  of  ways;  and,  from  the  time  when  I 
began  to  have  literary  enterprises  (and  quite  as  much  be- 
fore I  obtained  success  as  after)   I  was  sustained  by  her 

1  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  II. 


1805-I8I4]  PARENTS 

trustful,  generous,  self-denying  sympathy  and  maternal 
appreciation.  After  a  time,  when  she  was  fretted  by  cares 
and  infirmities,  I  became  as  nervous  in  regard  to  her  as 
ever  (even  to  the  entire  breaking  down  of  my  health)  ; 
but  during  the  whole  period  of  which  I  am  now  treating  — 
(and  it  is  a  very  large  space  in  my  life)  — there  were  no 
limitations  to  our  mutual  confidence."  *  Again,  she  says, 
"  there  was  a  close  mutual  reliance  between  my  mother  and 
myself,"  and  they  used  to  read  and  walk  together.^  This 
"  kind  mother  "  ^  was  "  always  generous  in  money  mat- 
ters." *  On  Aug.  28,  1831,  Harriet  writes:  "Oh  my 
mother,  one  of  the  greatest  joys  I  have  in  success  is  in  your 
share  of  my  pleasure  and  gratitude  " ;  °  and  she  cordially 
acknowledges  that,  in  regard  to  the  subjects  to  be  included 
in  her  books,  her  mother  "  was  thoroughly  sound  in  doc- 
trine, and  just  and  generous  in  practice,"  ^  A  few  simple 
words  show  how  warm  was  the  affection  between  them. 
They  met  in  Liverpool  on  Miss  Martineau's  return  from 
her  journey  in  the  East.  Mrs.  Martineau  had  been  preju- 
diced by  her  daughter's  connection  with  mesmerism ;  but, 
says  the  latter,  "  I  knew  that  the  sound  of  my  voice,  and 
my  mere  presence  for  five  minutes,  would  put  to  flight  all 
objections  to  my  mode  of  recovery:  and  we  did  meet  and 
part  in  comfort  and  satisfaction."  "^  These  few  extracts 
are  given,  not  in  order  to  disturb  the  ashes  of  an  old  con- 
troversy, but  for  the  double  purpose  of  completing  the  por- 
trait of  Mrs.  Martineau  and  doing  justice  to  the  memory 
of  a  great  and  noble  woman,  who,  through  a  large  part  of 
her  life,  was  so  strongly  attached  to  the  subject  of  this 


1  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  98  s^.  '  /*.,  T.  p.  126.  »  /fi.,  I.  p.  161. 

*  Id.,  I.  p.  143.  6  /i>.,  III.  p.  S3-  '  ^^t  II-  P-  163. 

'  /K  II.  p.  317. 

8  In  the  above  remarks  it  may  seem  to  be  assumed  that  Miss  H.  Martineau's 
less  favourable  judgments  were  founded  on  accurate  recollections.  But  there 
is  ample  reason  for  believing  that  her  memory  was  coloured  by  her  later  mood. 

7 


CHILDHOOD  [18051814 

The  following  account  of  her  parents,  from  the  educa- 
tional point  of  view,  is  given  by  the  youngest  daughter, 
Mrs.  Higginson :  "  It  is  certain  that  my  father  and  mother 
knew  no  language  but  their  own,  at  least  within  our 
memory ;  yet  I  cannot  remember  a  time  when  there  was 
not  much  reading  going  on  in  the  family  circle,  and  not 
only  duty  reading,  but  discussion  and  literary  talk,  and 
ours  was  one  of  the  Norwich  houses  which  held  in  friend- 
ship, more  or  less  close,  the  men  and  women  who  bore  the 
names  of  Taylor,  Alderson,  Opie,  Smith  (Sir  James  E.), 
Rigby,  Enfield,  Reeve  and  Austin ;  also  Houghton  and 
Madge,  My  father  was  a  plain,  business  man  .  .  . ;  he 
had  passed  some  portion  of  his  childhood  under  the  roof 
of  the  Barbaulds,  and  if  he  did  not  bring  away  much  learn- 
ing from  them,  I  like  to  indulge  the  belief  that  from  Mrs. 
Barbauld  he  acquired  the  strong  political  leanings,  and  the 
firm  principles  of  Nonconformity,  that  marked  his  after 
citizenship,  and  certainly  descended  in  no  equivocal  way  to 
his  sons  and  daughters.  ...  I  believe  that  to  my  mother 
we  must  trace  the  beginnings  of  literary  culture  in  our 
household.  She  had  enjoyed  perhaps  fewer  educational 
advantages,  early  in  life,  than  her  husband  had  done,  but 
she  had  quick  perceptions,  indomitable  energ}^,  and  won- 
derful tact  in  making  the  most  of  opportunities.  One  of 
her  brothers  (John  Rankin,  father  of  Mrs.  Henry  Turner) 
was  more  or  less  intimate  with  Robert  Burns,  and  my 
mother  was  an  enthusiastic  admirer  of  Burns'  poetry,  and 
of  all  she  could  learn  of  Scotland.  When  no  longer  a  child, 
she  was  allowed  to  have  lessons  from  a  Mr.  Storey,  who 


Dr.  Martineau,  writing  to  his  cousin  Mrs.  Turner,  on  Jan.  7,  18S5,  says:  "I 
do  not  think  that  anyone  but  myself,  who  have  just  gone  over  all  the  boy  and  girl 
correspondence,  as  well  as  that  of  later  years,  from  my  15th  to  my  42nd  year, 
can  appreciate  the  extent  to  which  Harriet's  ultimate  mood  and  estimates  of 
things  transformed  and  distorted  her  seeming  memories  of  early  life.  The 
limitation  of  her  external  senses  reduced  her  outward  experience  to  a  fainter 
impressiveness  than  that  of  her  vivid  ideal  states  ;  so  that  the  intense  dreams 
and  contrasts  of  the  present  eclipsed  and  modified  the  images  of  the  past." 


1805-1814]  CHILDHOOD 

was  probably  an  elegant  scholar.  She  used  to  name  this 
as  the  one  educational  advantage  of  her  life,  and  she  must 
have  then  been  introduced  to  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Pope's 
Translations,  and  some  general  historical  reading.  The 
opportunity  was  short,  but  its  results  have  been  felt  by  us 
all.  The  love  of  literature  once  awakened,  my  mother  seems 
never  to  have  lost  the  habit  of  adding  to  her  store  of  know- 
ledge, and  snatches  of  reading  must  have  carried  her 
through  many  trials,  from  her  first  being  transplanted  to 
what  was,  to  her,  the  cold  and  haughty  South,  through  the 
anxieties  of  rearing  a  large  family  by  means  of  a  fluctu- 
ating and  finally  ruinous  business.  This  measure  of  self- 
education  enabled  her  to  give  life  to  the  early  lessons  of  her 
children,  to  direct  the  choice  of  teachers  for  them,  to  collect 
intelligent  people  about  them,  and  to  give  a  warm  and 
appreciative  sympathy  to  them  in  their  subsequent  literary 
efforts.  So  far,  it  was  all  Literature :  —  Science  was  at  a 
discount  in  Norwich  and  especially  with  the  Martineaus."  ^ 
In  his  early  days  James  Martineau,  though  possessing  a 
more  robust  constitution,  seems  to  have  had  the  same  highly 
strung  and  serious  temperament  as  his  sister,  and  to  have 
been  regarded  as  a  delicate  child,  "  unusually  grave  and 
thoughtful."  ^  He  was  thin  and  sallow,  and  is  said  to  have 
been  timid,  and  even  nervous.  A  friend  speaks  of  him  as 
*'  an  irritable  child,"  ^  and  he  himself  confesses  that  his 
childhood  was  not  happy.  He  attributes  this  "  not  to  any 
sharp  or  repressive  discipline  "  on  the  part  of  his  father  or 
mother,  "  but  to  well-meant  yet  persecuting  sport "  on  the 
part  of  his  older  brothers,  "  and  to  the  rough  treatment  of 
a  great  public  school ;  and  still  more  to  the  simple  absence 
of  any  apprehensive  sympathy  with  the  growing  inner  life 
of  the  boy."  ^  However,  the  strangely  gifted  boy  and  girl, 
suffering  under   the  pressure   of    their   own   undeveloped 


1  From  MS.  "  Notes,"  written  in  1875.  ^  MS.  Reminiscence  of  a  friend. 

8  H.  M.  Aut.,  III.  p.  Ti.  *  Bi.  Mem. 

9 


CHILDHOOD  [1805-1814 

genius,  were  devoted  companions  to  one  another.  Harriet 
relates  how,  when  she  was  about  five  years  old,  she  managed 
one  morning  to  get  her  little  brother  out  of  bed  to  witness 
a  crimson  and  purple  sunrise.  "  The  sky  was  gorgeous," 
she  says,  "  and  I  talked  very  religiously  to  the  child."  ^  On 
another  occasion,  having  learned  that  the  world  was  a  globe 
swimming  in  space,  the  children  began  to  dig  in  the  little 
plots  appropriated  to  them  in  the  garden.  They  intended 
to  make  a  hole  through  the  globe,  till  they  came  out  at  the 
other  side ;  but  soon  coming  on  some  impenetrable  brickbats 
they  altered  their  plan,  and  extended  the  hole  to  their  own 
length,  "  having  an  extreme  desire  to  know  what  dying 
was  like."  They  lay  down  alternately  in  this  grave,  shut 
their  eyes,  and  fancied  themselves  dead,  and  told  one  another 
their  feelings  when  they  came  out  again.  "  As  far  as  I  can 
remember,"  says  Miss  Martineau,  "  we  fully  believed  that 
we  now  knew  all  about  it."  ^  A  family  tradition  relates 
that  one  Sunday,  at  dinner  time,  James  was  found  seated 
on  a  little  stool,  with  a  great  Bible  resting  on  a  chair.  "  He 
was  eager  to  know  which  chapter  in  Isaiali  he  was  reading, 
and  announced  that  he  had  read  from  the  beginning  of 
Genesis  to  that  place  '  since  Chapel.'  On  his  mother's  re- 
buking him  for  the  exaggeration,  he  promptly  added, 
*  skipping  the  nonsense,  you  know.   Mamma.'  "  ' 

James'  own  earliest  recollection  is  of  a  journey  to  New- 
castle upon  Tyne,  to  stay  with  his  grandfather.  In  1809 
the  journey  had  to  be  made  in  a  post-chaise,  and  occupied 
about  four  days.  The  party  consisted  of  Mrs.  Martineau, 
"  dear,  pretty,  gentle  Aunt  Margaret,"  sister  Elizabeth, 
aged  fifteen,  Rachel,  Harriet,  and  the  little  child  of  four. 


1  H.  M.  Aiit.,  I.  p.  17  sq. 

'  Ih.,  I.  p.  58  sq.  Referred  to  also  in  '•  Life  in  the  Sick  Room,"  p.  100 
(3d  ed.),  1S49. 

8  From  Mrs.  Higginson's  MS.  Notes.  Another  form  of  the  tradition  says 
that  he  had  been  told  to  read  in  Isaiah,  and  proclaimed  that  he  had  read 
through  the  book. 

10 


I805-I8I4]     RELIGIOUS    INFLUENCES 

The  last  named,  clad  in  nankeen  frocks,  was  placed  on  a  low 
stool,  and  rode  backwards,  so  that  the  chief  impression  left 
on  his  mind  was  one  of  misery  and  sickness.  He  remem- 
bered also  the  awe  with  which  he  looked  on  Durham  Cathe- 
dral. The  time  was  enlivened  by  a  little  quiet  romping,  and 
a  great  deal  of  story  telling  by  the  aunt.  At  the  Forth, 
Mr.  Rankin's  place  at  Newcastle,  the  children  suffered 
"  through  the  lying  intrigues  of  an  over-favoured  cousin," 
who  brought  upon  them  imputations  of  stealing  the  fruit, 
and  caused  them  to  be  shut  out  of  the  garden.  They  both 
remembered  this  event  with  a  deep  sense  of  injury.  As  Dr. 
Martineau  says,  "  the  first  burning  sense  of  injustice,  I  sup- 
pose, is  never  forgotten."  The  elder  child,  however, 
records  some  pleasanter  experiences,  which,  even  if  he  for- 
got them,  may  have  left  their  impression  on  the  tender 
mind  of  the  boy.  "  Good  JMr.  Turner  of  Newcastle  "  had 
been  Mrs.  Martineau's  pastor  and  friend  before  her  mar- 
riage, and  they  usually  went  to  have  tea  at  his  house  on 
Sunday  evenings.  The  rest  may  be  given  in  Miss  Mar- 
tineau's words :  "  Another  religious  impression  that  we 
children  brought  from  Newcastle  is  very  charming  to  me 
still.  Our  gentle,  delicate  Aunt  Mary,  whom  I  remember 
so  well  in  her  white  gown,  with  her  pink  colour,  thin  silky 
brown  hair,  and  tender  manner  towards  us,  used  to  get 
us  round  her  knees  as  she  sat  in  the  window-seat  at  the 
Forth,  where  the  westerly  sun  shone,  and  teach  us  to  sing 
Milton's  hymn,  *  Let  us  with  a  gladsome  mind.'  It  is  the 
very  hymn  for  children,  set  to  its  own  simple  tune;  and 
I  always,  to  this  day,  hear  Aunt  Mary's  weak,  earnest  voice 
in  it."  1 

Of  the  religious  Influences  of  the  home  we  have  no  de- 
tailed information;  but  we  hear  of  the  children  learning 
"  Mrs.  Barbauld's  Prose  Hymns  "  by  heart,^  and  the  sincere 


1  Bi.  Mem.,  and  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  28  sqq. 
3  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  34. 

II 


CHILDHOOD  [18051814 

and  practical,  if  somewhat  reserved  and  silent,  piety  of  a 
Unitarian  household  of  that  day  must  have  appealed  to  the 
tender  conscience  of  the  boy,  and  planted  within  him  the 
seeds  of  that  spiritual  faith  which  characterized  his  later  life. 
The  influence  of  the  chapel  which  the  family  attended  must 
not  be  overlooked;  for  Dr.  Martineau  himself  referred 
to  it  with  gratitude  in  later  years.  The  Octagon  Chapel, 
so  called  from  its  peculiar  form,  was  built  for  Dr.  John 
Taylor,  who,  in  his  sermon  at  the  opening  on  the  12th  of 
May,  1756,  declared  that  "we  are  Christians,  and  only 
Christians.  .  .  .  We  disown  all  connection,  except  that  of 
love  and  good-will,  with  any  sect  or  party  whatever,  .  .  . 
so  that  we  may  exercise  the  public  duties  of  Religion  upon 
the  most  catholic  and  charitable  foundation."  During  Dr. 
Martineau's  infancy  the  Rev.  Pendlebury  Houghton  was 
the  minister  of  this  chapel,  and  by  maintaining  its  liberal 
traditions  succeeded  in  keeping  together  a  congregation 
which,  while  united  in  devotion,  was  by  no  means  of  one 
mind  in  theological  doctrine.  A  change,  however,  took  place 
before  we  can  suppose  the  mind  of  the  child  to  have  been  im- 
pressed by  the  spectacle  of  this  catholic  communion,  the  tra- 
dition of  which  remained  so  dear  to  him  through  life.  In 
181 1  the  Rev.  Thomas  Madge  was  invited  to  Norwich  as 
co-pastor  with  Mr.  Houghton,  and  in  18 12  became  the  sole 
minister,  and  exercised  a  marked  influence  on  the  religious 
life  of  a  large  congregation  till,  in  1825,  he  removed  to 
Essex  Street  in  London.  Mr.  Madge  had  been  brought  up 
as  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England ;  but  having  become 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  Unitarianism,  and  believing  this 
alone  to  be  the  genuine  gospel  of  Christ,  he  thought  it  his 
duty  to  proclaim  it  with  greater  distinctness  than  had 
hitherto  been  the  practice  at  Norwich,  thereby  causing  some 
secessions,  and  imparting  to  the  congregation  greater  uni- 
formity of  theological  colour.  Many  must  still  survive  who 
remember  the  silvery  tones,  and  the  sweet  and  earnest  face, 

12 


rto5-i8i4]      RELIGIOUS    INFLUENCES 

of  the  venerable  preacher  in  Essex  Street  Chapel.  He  was 
a  man  of  sincere  and  cheerful  piety,  of  strong  convictions, 
with  a  keen  eye  for  all  that  is  pure  and  beautiful  in  the 
Christian  message,  if  not  equally  able  to  penetrate  the  deeper 
problems  of  the  spirit,  with  a  warm  and  kindly  heart,  easily 
roused  to  indignation,  and  as  easily  appeased,  a  man  to  be 
loved  and  honoured  for  the  simplicity  and  guilelessness  of  a 
mind  always  faithful  to  its  own  vision,  and  uncorrupted  by 
success.  Miss  Harriet  Martineau  speaks  rather  disdainfully 
of  his  intellectual  powers,  though  not  insensible  to  the 
charm  of  his  character.  His  "  sermons,"  she  says,  "  con- 
veyed few  clear  ideas  to  children,  though  much  sweet  and 
solemn  impression."  ^  The  heart  of  the  boy  seems  to  have 
been  more  open  to  his  influence.  In  a  speech  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  Hope  Street  Church  in  1849  Mr.  Martineau  said, 
in  referring  to  the  sermon  which  Mr.  Madge  preached  on 
that  occasion :  "  I  cannot  describe  to  any  one  who  is  not 
keenly  alive  to  the  recollections  of  early  life  the  kind  of 
emotions  which  the  tones  of  that  dear  voice  awaken  in 
me."  "^  And,  again,  he  wrote  to  Mrs.  Madge,  after  the 
death  of  her  husband  :  "  Such  purity  and  simplicity  of  heart, 
such  earnest  depth  of  devout  conviction,  a  habit  of  thought 
so  clear  and  firm,  of  expression  so  lucid,  of  speech  so  win- 
ning, were  blended  in  him,  as  to  render  him  unique  among 
his  contemporaries.  No  doubt,  in  my  case,  early  impres- 
sions of  a  very  tender  and  sacred  kind  have  something  to 
do  with  the  affectionate  veneration  with  which  I  regarded 
him ;  for  some  of  my  first  awakenings  of  conscience  and  of 
spiritual  faith  came  to  me  in  the  tones  of  that  sweet  voice, 
and  the  inward  echoes  were  ever  renewed  when  I  heard  it 
again,  in  preaching  or  in  prayer."^     Mr.  Madge's  influence 


1  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  33. 

2  Quoted   from   the  "Christian    Reformer,"  in   the   Memoir  of  the   Rev. 
Thomas  Madge,  by  the  Rev.  W.  James,  187 1,  p.  194  sq. 

3  lb.,  p.  323  sq. 

13 


CHILDHOOD  [1805-1814 

was  not  confined  to  the  pulpit.  He  and  other  friends  were 
frequently  invited  to  supper  on  Sunday  evenings  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Thomas  Martineau,  "  at  whose  hospitable  board 
there  was  an  ample  feast  of  reason  and  flow  of  soul.  Mr. 
Madge,  after  his  pulpit  labours  were  over,  seemed  always 
fresh  and  ready  to  impart  the  most  lively  interest  to  the 
subjects  which  had  occupied  his  and  our  attention  during 
the  day.  This  weekly  gathering  afforded  a  very  delightful 
close  to  each  Sunday  evening."  ^ 

Of  other  home  influences  we  have  little  record.  Of  his 
lessons  at  home  during  childhood  Dr.  Martineau  says  he 
remembers  nothing.^  We  are  told,  however,  that  his  parents 
"  gave  their  children,  girls  as  well  as  boys,  an  education  of 
a  very  high  order,  including  sound  classical  instruction  and 
training."  ^  At  that  time  Norwich  was  distinguished  by 
a  regard  for  literature,  which  was  more  than  an  affectation, 
though  Miss  H.  Martineau  writes  scornfully  of  the  pedantry 
and  vulgarity  by  which  it  was  accompanied.'*  Whatever 
may  have  been  its  intrinsic  merits,  it  must  have  helped  to 
stimulate  the  taste  for  intellectual  pursuits,  and  to  foster 
the  higher  tastes  and  sensibilities.  Music,  too,  was  cul- 
tivated. Mrs.  Martineau  loved  music ;  ^  and  Dr.  Martineau, 
who  may  have  attended  the  Gate-House  Concerts  at  Nor- 
wich, and  who  once  gave  utterance  to  the  rather  hard 
saying  that  no  one  should  be  a  minister  who  was  not  musi- 
cal, might  be  seen,  up  to  his  latest  years,  in  the  full  enjoy- 
ment of  concerts  in  London. 

There  was  sometimes  a  visit  from  a  lady,  not  resident  in 
Norwich,  of  whose  literary  distinction  there  could  be  no 
doubt;  and  this  chapter  may  conclude  with  a  charming 
picture  from  Miss  H.  Martineau's  Autobiography :   "  There 


1  Memoir  of  Madge,  p.  107,  quoted  from  a  communication  written  by  Mr.  J. 
Withers  Dowson. 

3  Bi.  Mem.  »  H.  M.  Aut.,  III.  p.  293. 

*  lb.,  I.  p.  297  sqq.  5  lb.,  I.  p.  54. 

14 


I805-I8I4]  HOME    INFLUENCE 

was  one  occasional  apparition  which  kept  alive  in  us  a  sense 
of  what  intellectual  superiority  ought  to  be  and  to  produce. 
Mrs.  Barbauld  came  to  Norwich  now  and  then;  and  she 
always  made  her  appearance  presently  at  our  house.  In 
her  early  married  life,  before  the  happiness  of  the  devoted 
wife  was  broken  up  by  her  gentle  husband's  insanity,  she 
had  helped  him  in  his  great  school  at  Palgrave  in  Suffolk, 
by  taking  charge  of  the  very  little  boys.  William  Taylor 
and  my  father  had  stood  at  her  knee  with  their  slates ;  and 
when  they  became  men,  and  my  father's  children  were  older 
than  he  was  when  she  first  knew  him,  she  retained  her  inter- 
est in  him,  and  extended  it  to  my  mother  and  us.  It  was 
a  remarkable  day  for  us  when  the  comely  elderly  lady  in  her 
black  silk  cloak  and  bonnet  came  and  settled  herself  for  a 
long  morning  chat.  .  .  .  Well  I  remember  her  gentle  lively 
voice,  and  the  stamp  of  superiority  on  all  she  said.  We  knew 
she  was  very  learned,  and  we  saw  she  was  graceful,  and 
playful,  and  kindly,  and  womanly."  ^ 


1  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  302. 


15 


Chapter  II 

EDUCATION,   1815-1827 

Within  the  spacious  Cathedral  Close  at  Norwich,  on  the 
left  hand  as  the  visitor  enters  through  a  noble  gateway- 
opposite  the  western  door  of  the  nave,  stands  an  ancient 
Grammar  School,  where  some  of  the  men  whose  names  are 
distinguished  in  English  history  once  pursued  their  studies. 
For  a  few  years  it  was  presided  over  by  Dr.  Samuel  Parr, 
who  was  celebrated  for  his  classical  attainments ;  but  on  his 
retirement  in  1786  it  fell  into  feebler  hands,  and  the  number 
of  scholars  was  seriously  reduced.  In  1810  the  appointment 
of  Mr.  Edward  Valpy  to  the  head-mastership  retrieved  its 
failing  fortunes,  so  that  pupils  were  attracted  even  from  dis- 
tant parts  of  the  country,  and  it  became  necessary  to  engage 
three  additional  houses  to  provide  sufficient  accommodation. 
Into  this  large  and  miscellaneous  school  James  Martineau 
was  introduced  as  a  day  scholar  at  the  early  age  of  ten,  and 
he  remained  there  for  about  four  years  (1815-1819).  The 
standard  of  classical  attainment  was  more  than  respectable, 
and  the  practice,  then  new,  was  adopted  of  using  an  English 
Latin  Grammar.  The  impressions  which  the  school  left 
upon  the  mind  of  the  sensitive  boy  may  be  given  in  his  own 
words :  — 

"  I  left  it  before  reaching  its  highest  form ;  but  not  with- 
out having  made  fair  progress  in  Latin,  and  a  good  start  in 
Greek;  though  my  reading  in  the  latter  was  as  yet  limited 
to  Homer  and  Xenophon.  Among  my  230  school-fellows 
were  several  who  afterwards  rose  to  distinction  in  civil  or 
military  life :  James  Brooke,  Rajah  of  Sarawak ;  Stodart, 
who   perished   with    Conolly   in   Bokhara;     George   Borrow, 

16 


18I5-I8I9]      SCHOOL    AT    NORWICH 

the  writer  and  actor  of  romance;  Edward  Rigby  and  John 
Dalrymple,  eminent  practitioners  df  the  medical  art.  The 
last  three  were  my  companions  in  study  and  in  play :  and  of 
the  first  two,  who  were  two  or  three  years  older,  I  have  a 
clear  remembrance,  especially  of  Stodart's  tall  fig^ure  and 
calm  commanding  face.  In  spite  of  school  friendships,  how- 
ever, those  years  of  boyhood  were  not  bright.  The  day 
scholars  were  despised  by  the  boarders ;  and  there  were  big 
tyrants  among  themselves,  who,  especially  if  they  were  block- 
heads, bullied  the  weaker  boys  into  saving  them  trouble  and 
doing  their  work:  and  though  I  did  not  shrink  from  a  race 
or  a  battle  with  a  competitor  fairly  matched,  I  suffered  keenly 
under  the  smart  of  hopeless  oppression  and  unmerited  insult. 
The  studies  also  of  which  I  was  naturally  most  fond,  —  the 
mathematical,  —  were  kept  in  a  tantalising  subordination :  so 
that,  when  I  had  learned  enough  to  feel  my  own  backwardness 
in  them,  I  became  restive  under  my  narrow  opportunities  for 
their  pursuit.  Our  teacher  in  geometry,  —  a  Mr.  Priest,  — 
was  not  a  very  popular  personage  with  the  boys  in  general 
any  more  than  Euclid  himself  would  have  been.  But  to  me 
the  image  of  the  grave  and  taciturn  man,  with  somewhat 
stooping  figure,  bald  head,  and  suffering  face,  is  grateful 
from  its  association  with  awakening  tastes  and  helpful 
impulse."  * 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  extract  how  strongly  the 
repulsive  picture  of  the  public  school  system,  which  he  pre- 
sents in  his  essay  on  Dr.  Arnold,  was  coloured  by  the 
unfavourable  recollections  of  his  own  experience.^  His 
sister,  Mrs.  Higginson,  who,  as  a  child,  w^as  devoted  to  her 
schoolboy  brother,  relates  that  he  was  removed  from  the 
Grammar  School  because  there  were  several  boys  whose 
companionship  was  not  deemed  advantageous,  and  he  was 
placed  for  a  time  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Madge,  who 
consented  to  receive  him  as  a  private  pupil  for  some  hours 
in  the  week.  His  new  teacher  was  full  of  enthusiasm  for 
Wordsworth,  and,  finding  his  pupil's  taste  and  imagination 


»  Bi.  Mem. 

'  "Essays,  Reviews,  and  Addresses,"  I.  p.  68,  1S90.     Henceforth  referred 
to  as  Essays. 

2  17 


EDUCATION  [18I9-182I 

unawakened,  he  partially  displaced  Greek  and  Latin,  and 
put  him  on  a  course  of  reading  in  the  Arabian  Nights 
and  Mrs.  Leicester's  School.  At  this  time  he  used  tools 
and  practised  turning.^ 

A  greater  change  was  now  at  hand.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Lant 
Carpenter,  the  father  of  the  well-known  physiologist  and  of 
Miss  Mary  Carpenter,  had  settled  in  Bristol  in  the  summer 
of  1817.  He  there  continued  the  practice,  which  he  had 
begun  at  Exeter  in  1805,  of  keeping  a  small  boarding 
school.  Harriet  Martineau  spent  fifteen  months,  from 
February,  181 8,  at  a  school  kept  by  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Robert 
Rankin,  at  Bristol,  and  at  the  end  of  that  period  brought 
home  an  enthusiastic  account  of  the  influence  over  her  of 
Dr.  Carpenter's  classes  and  pulpit  services.  The  result  was 
that  Mr.  Thomas  Martineau  determined  to  find  the  hundred 
guineas  a  year  which  would  make  his  son  one  of  Dr.  Car- 
penter's dozen  pupils,  and  for  two  years,  1 8 19- 1 821,  the 
growing  mind  of  the  boy  came  under  a  very  remarkable 
moral  and  religious  influence.  His  new  teacher,  unlike 
Mr.  Madge,  had  spent  his  early  life  in  the  midst  of  Uni- 
tarian associations ;  but  his  piety  was  no  less  deep  and  fer- 
vent, his  sense  of  duty  was  strict  and  methodical,  and  his 
power  of  swaying  the  hearts  and  wills  of  young  people  was 
of  a  very  unusual  kind,  resting  on  the  personal  persuasive- 
ness and  obvious  sincerity  of  his  own  fine  character.  Har- 
riet Martineau,  in  her  Autobiography,  speaks  scornfully  of 
him  as  "  superficial  in  his  knowledge,  scanty  in  ability, 
narrow  in  his  conceptions,  and  thoroughly  priestly  in  his 
temper."  But  she  confesses  that  he  was  worshipped  by  the 
young,  and  by  none  more  than  by  herself ;  and  "  his  power 
was  unbounded  while  his  pupils  continued  young."  ^  These 
words,  however,  were  written  under  the  influence  of  her 
revolt  against  what,  in  her  later  years,  she  regarded  as  meta- 


1  MS.  Notes.  2  I.  p.  95- 

18 


I8I9-I82I]        SCHOOL    AT    BRISTOL 

physical  superstition.  Her  brother  never  lost  his  reverence 
for  his  old  teacher.  In  the  memoranda  written  when  he  was 
upwards  of  seventy  he  still  speaks  of  his  association  with 
Dr.  Carpenter  as  an  "  inestimable  privilege " ;  and  in  a 
long  letter  written  to  the  Rev.  R.  L.  Carpenter  in  1841  he 
records  most  gratefully,  though  not  without  discrimination, 
the  impressions  left  upon  him  by  his  school  days  in  Bristol. 
A  few  passages  may  be  transcribed  from  this  letter,  as 
throwing  light  upon  the  development  of  his  own  mind :  — 

"  So  forcibly,  indeed,  did  that  period  act  upon  me,  —  so 
visibly  did  it  determine  the  subsequent  direction  of  my  mind 
and  lot,  that  it  always  stands  before  me  as  the  commencement 
of  my  present  life,  making  me  feel  like  a  man  without  a 
childhood ;  and  though  a  multitude  of  earlier  scenes  are  still 
in  view,  they  seem  to  be  spread  around  a  different  being,  and 
to  belong,  like  the  incidents  of  a  dream,  to  some  foreign  self 
that  became  extinct  when  the  morning  light  of  reality  broke 
upon  the  sight.  I  need  not  dwell  on  the  illusory  nature  of 
this  feeling.  It  is  obvious  enough  that  in  no  one's  case  can 
there  really  occur  such  an  abrupt  termination  of  one  series 
of  causes,  and  sudden  replacement  by  another ;  that  the  years 
before  I  knew  your  father,  prepared  me  to  love  and  venerate 
him  as  I  did,  and  set  before  him  a  boy  ready  to  be  penetrated 
and  fused  into  new  forms  by  his  extraordinary  influence; 
than  which  I  can  give  them  no  higher  praise.  Still,  the  illu- 
sion itself  ...  is  evidence  of  a  wonderful  power,  rare  even 
among  the  best  instructors,  of  commanding  the  reverence, 
and  reconstituting  the  wills,  of  the  least  manageable  class  of 
human  beings." 

"  Profound  moral  feeling  .  .  .  was  the  great  primary  force 
of  his  whole  mind ;  transcending  and  directing  not  only  his 
intellectual  gifts,  but  (if  it  is  possible  to  separate  and  compare 
what  in  him  were  so  absolutely  blended)  even  his  religious 
affections.  I  have  never  seen  in  any  human  being  the  idea 
of  duty,  the  feeling  of  right,  held  in  such  visible  reverence." 

"  I  should  say  that  the  specific  want  of  your  father's  mind 
was  in  his  faint  perception  of  beauty.  He  had  little  appre- 
ciation of  Art,  as  such,  and  apart  from  the  moral  purposes 
which  may  be  associated  with  it;  and  though  not  without 
a  delight,  occasionally  vivid,  in  poetry,  music,  and  painting, 
he  evidently  experienced  in  this  only  the  pleasure  reflected 

19 


EDUCATION  [i8i9-i8« 

from  the  higher  affections,  and  was  a  stranger  to  the  genuine 
aesthetic   emotions." 

"  Around  the  dinner-table  ...  he  read  the  daily  papers 
to  us,  and  made  the  parliamentary  debates  the  vehicle  for 
his  fine  lessons  of  constitutional  knowledge  and  political 
wisdom  ...  I  shall  never  forget  how  the  Manchester  mas- 
sacre kindled  his  generous  indignation;  drew  forth  his  stores 
of  constitutional  history  in  eloquent  defence  of  the  popular 
right  of  petition;  and  suggested  to  him  great  maxims  of 
civil  freedom.  And  the  sentences  of  Grattan's  final  speech  in 
behalf  of  the  Catholic  claims  still  ring  in  my  memory,  as  they 
flowed  from  your  father's  fervent  lips,  and  thrilled  into  me 
my  first  and  last  true  love  of  the  principles  of  religious  liberty." 

"  The  directly  religious  instruction  of  the  school,  in  all 
respects  admirable,  owed  its  efficacy  chiefly  to  the  quality  to 
which,  in  truth,  all  power  on  earth  is  given,  viz.,  its  deep 
and  absolute  sincerity.  .  .  .  The  historical,  geographical,  and 
archaeological  knowledge  brought  together  for  the  illustration 
of  the  Scriptures,  presented  their  incidents  before  us  with  a 
clearness  and  reality  very  difficult  to  attain.  The  critical  read- 
ing of  the  Greek  Testament  every  Monday  morning  gradually 
accumulated  an  amount  of  theological  information,  respect- 
ing both  the  text  and  the  interpretation  of  the  sacred  writings, 
rarely  placed  within  the  reach  of  any  but  divines.  And  the 
lessons  on  natural  religion  and  ethical  philosophy  displayed 
to  us  the  two  great  lines  of  connection  by  which  God  stands 
perceptibly  related  to  this  world ;  —  the  physical  and  causal, 
on  the  one  hand,  by  which  we  discern  creation  to  be  His  glori- 
ous work ;  —  the  disciplinary  and  moral,  on  the  other,  by  which 
we  own  our  free-will  to  be  His  responsible  servant.  There  are 
few,  I  believe,  who,  having  left  your  father  after  this  more  ad- 
vanced training,  did  not  stand  upon  the  threshold  of  the  life 
then  opening  before  them,  with  some  breathless  feeling  of  its 
grandeur  and  awfulness."  ^ 

The  following  is  Dr.  Martlneau's  own  account  of  the 
general  knowledge  he  accumulated  during  those  two  fruitful 
years : — 

"  Several  Latin  and  Greek  authors  were  added  to  my  scanty 
list ;  and  the  admiration  excited  by  Tacitus,  Juvenal,  and  the 
philosophical  treatises  of  Cicero,  and  by  Sophocles  and  the 

1  "Memoirs  of  the  Life  of  the  Rev.  Lant  Carpenter,  LL.D.,"  edited  by  his 
son,  Russell  Lant  Carpenter,  B.A.,  1842,  p.  342  sqq. 

20 


I8I9-I82I]        SCHOOL    AT    BRISTOL 

easier  dialogues  of  Plato,  had  a  permanent  influence  on  my 
literary  and  moral  feeling.  Being  at  that  time  intended  for 
the  profession  of  a  Civil  Engineer,  I  was  allowed  to  devote 
some  extra  time  to  mathematics  and  the  elements  of  natural 
philosophy  and  chemistry ;  so  that,  before  I  left,  I  had  been 
put  in  possession  of  Euclid,  the  Conic  Sections,  Plane  Trigo- 
nometry, and  the  elementary  formulas  of  Spherical,  and  of 
the  fundamental  conceptions  and  methods  of  Physics,  Chem- 
istry, Physiology,  and  Geology."^ 

An  old  exercise  book  survives,  containing  five  themes, 
signed  by  James  Martineau,  "  On  Plonour,"  "  Advantages 
of  a  Taste  for  Science  and  Literature,"  "  Was  Brutus  justi- 
fiable in  assassinating  Cresar?  "  "  On  Fortitude,"  and  "  On 
Liberty,"  the  dates  ranging  from  Sept.  5,  1819,  to  Dec.  13, 
1820.  The  schoolboy  copperplate  bears  no  resemblance  to 
his  later  handwriting,  and  neither  in  the  thought  nor  the 
composition  is  there  any  sign  of  precocity,  or  any  clear 
promise  of  the  future  distinction  of  his  style.  The  senti- 
ments are  of  course  unexceptionable,  but  hardly  rise  above 
the  commonplace  of  an  intelligent  and  conscientious  boy. 

His  character  and  progress,  however,  gave  entire  satis- 
faction, and  rejoiced  the  hearts  of  his  parents,  who  were 
solicitous  for  his  highest  welfare.  Soon  after  he  arrived  at 
Bristol  he  received  from  his  mother  w^hat  he  describes  as 
a  "  kind  and  wise  motherly  letter,  to  set  her  boy  of  14  on  the 
right  track  from  the  first."  This  letter  also  prepared  him  to 
expect  a  visit  from  his  father,  who  required  some  change 
and  recreation  after  a  period  of  anxiety  due  to  the  depres- 
sion of  his  business.  The  following  August  he  had  the 
pleasure  of  hearing  from  his  mother  in  acknowledgment  of 
a  letter  which  she  and  his  father  "  had  repeatedly  read  wnth 
gratification,  reporting  a  valuable  present  from  Dr.  C,  given 
as  a  mark  of  approval  and  affection."  This  probably  refers 
to  a  copy  of  Southey's  "  Roderick,  the  last  of  the  Goths," 
on  the  fly-leaf  of  which  are  the  following  words :  — 

1  Bi.  Mem. 

21 


EDUCATION  [X82I-I822 

"  These  volumes  are  given  to  James  Martineau  as  a  testi- 
monial of  general  and  successful  diligence  in  the  objects  of 
mental  culture  to  which  he  has  been  directed  during  the  pre- 
ceding twelvemonth,  and  of  satisfactory  progress  in  several 
branches  of  useful  knowledge ;  to  encourage  his  exertions  in 
acquiring  the  habit  of  persevering  active  application  under 
difficulties  and  discouragements ;  and  to  express  my  approba- 
tion of  his  punctuality  and  correctness  in  the  execution  of  sev- 
eral little  trusts  assigned  to  him,  and  of  his  general  conduct 
as  a  pupil,  and  my  affectionate  desires  for  his  welfare.  — 
L.  Carpenter. 

"  Bristol,  Mids',  1820." 

During  his  school  days  young  Martineau  looked  forward 
to  entering  the  profession  of  an  engineer,  for  which  he  had 
a  distinct  aptitude.  Some  connections  of  his,  who  were  in 
that  profession,  not  having  room  to  receive  him,  recom- 
mended that  he  should  be  sent  to  a  London  millwTight. 
Accordingly  enquiries  were  set  on  foot,  at  the  beginning 
of  1 82 1,  for  an  eligible  firm.  These  inquiries  for  a  time 
proved  fruitless ;  and  his  mother,  in  writing  him  an  account 
of  them,  in  February,  1821,  found  occasion  for  "  so  much 
admirable  advice  and  record  of  experience  "  that  he  kept 
the  letter  as  "  equally  characteristic  of  her  wisdom  and  high 
principle."  A  subsequent  letter,  April  22,  182 1,  informs 
him  of  an  introduction  to  Mr.  Fox,  who  had  machine-works 
at  Derby,  and  of  arrangements  for  an  eventual  apprentice- 
ship to  him  for  three  years.  Accordingly,  in  the  summer 
his  school  life  came  to  an  end;  and,  with  a  more  manly 
career  opening  before  him,  he  made  virtuous  efiforts,  on 
which  his  mother  commented  approvingly,  to  overcome  his 
feelings  of  shyness  and  reserve  towards  his  older  brothers, 
who  were  entitled  to  his  entire  confidence.  The  brother 
nearest  to  him  in  age  was  seven  years  his  senior. 

In  the  summer,  before  entering  on  his  new  occupations, 
he  paid  a  visit,  along  with  his  father  and  mother,  at  New- 
castle upon  Tyne,  to  his  eldest  sister,  Mrs.  T.  M.  Greenhow 
and  her  husband,  on  occasion  of  the  christening  of  their 

22 


I82I-I822]        TO   BE    AN    ENGINEER 

first  child.  From  Newcastle  they  went  into  Cumberland, 
on  the  invitation  of  an  old  friend  of  his  father's,  whom  the 
latter  had  not  met  for  upwards  of  thirty  years.  The  effect 
of  this  visit  must  be  given  in  his  own  words :  — 

"  The  pleasant  days  under  his  roof  I  should  have  less  dis- 
tinctly remembered,  had  they  not  given  me  my  first  sight  of  a 
range  of  mountains.  It  was  only  a  distant  view,  for  the  house 
was  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cockermouth ;  but,  whenever  I 
could,  I  stole  out  into  the  garden,  to  look  once  more  and  renew 
the  longing  wonder  with  which  those  sunny  knolls  and  dark 
hollows  filled  me.  The  longing  was  in  some  degree  satisfied 
by  a  nearer  but  too  hasty  glance  at  the  Crummock  and  Butter- 
mere  hills  on  our  way  South ;  whence  I  carried  away,  how- 
ever, little  more  than  an  intense  sense  of  unvisited  glories."  ^ 

On  the  return  journey  he  parted  from  his  parents  at 
Derby,  where  he  resided  in  the  house  of  the  Rev.  Edward 
Higginson,  the  Unitarian  minister  in  that  town.  A  great 
and  unexpected  change,  however,  was  at  hand.  The  deeper 
intellectual  and  spiritual  forces  of  his  nature  began  to  assert 
themselves,  and  to  turn  his  desires  into  new  channels.  Sev- 
eral causes  contributed  to  waken  into  self-consciousness  the 
secret  stirrings  of  his  higher  genius.  Notwithstanding  his 
decided  taste  for  mechanical  work  his  new  occupation  failed 
to  satisfy  him.  His  master,  clever  and  energetic,  had  raised 
himself  from  a  humbler  class,  and  had  not  the  intellectual 
equipment  needful  for  giving  systematical  instruction  in 
mechanics.  He  thought  it  enough  to  place  his  pupil  at  the 
lathe  or  the  bench,  and,  allowing  him  the  run  of  his  shops, 
let  him  scramble  as  best  he  could  into  the  rules  of  the  busi- 
ness. This  total  want  of  intellectual  help  was  disappointing 
to  a  lad  who  was  anxious  to  learn  the  scientific  principles 
of  his  work,  and  he  looked  with  dismay  at  the  prospect  of 
devoting  precious  years  to  mastering  the  construction  of  a 
very  limited  class  of  machines.  The  higher  activity  of  his 
mind  being  thus  left  unsatisfied,  the  religious  impressions 

1  Bi.  Mem. 

23 


EDUCATION  [I821-I822 

made  on  him  at  Bristol  seemed  to  deepen,  and  prepared  him 
for  the  moment  when  a  higher  call  came  to  him  in  tones  not 
to  be  mistaken.  His  tendency  in  this  direction  was  aug- 
mented by  a  repulsion  which  he  felt  from  the  society  in 
which  Mr,  Higginson  moved,  contrasted  as  this  was  with 
the  deeply  religious  spirit  which  he  found  in  the  home 
of  Henry  Turner,  a  young  Unitarian  minister  at  Not- 
tingham, a  cousin  by  marriage,  whose  house  he  fre- 
quently visited.  This  friend  he  describes  as  "  one  of 
the  purest,  truest,  most  devout  of  men  " ;  ^  and  his  early 
death  "  haunted "  him,  he  says,  "  with  a  profound  and 
sacred  sorrow."  ^  Indeed  it  was  to  the  impression  made 
upon  him  by  this  event  that  in  his  later  life  he  attributed 
the  change  in  his  career.  A  valuable  light  is  thrown  upon 
his  history  and  his  ideals  by  the  following  passage  from 
the  report  of  a  speech  which  he  delivered  in  Nottingham 
in  1876,  at  the  opening  of  the  new  High  Pavement  Church, 
and  which  is  said  to  have  deeply  moved  his  audience  by  the 
tones  of  inspiration  in  which  he  spoke :  "  Here  in  Not- 
tingham it  was,  that,  under  a  sudden  flash  and  stroke  of 
sorrow  .  .  .  the  scales  fell  from  his  eyes,  and  the  realities 
and  solemnities  of  life  first  came  upon  him.  Here  it  was 
that  the  religious  part  of  his  life  first  commenced ;  in  fact 
the  light  was  so  overpowering  and  so  strong,  that  it  bore 
him  from  the  workshop  of  his  occupation,  and  turned  him 
from  an  engineer  into  an  Evangelist.  He  well  remembered, 
under  the  fervour  of  the  first  enthusiasm,  how  the  voices 
that  sounded  in  our  various  places  of  worship  appeared  to 
him  to  be  beneath  the  exigencies  of  the  case  —  too  sober 
and  too  cold;  and  amid  the  broken  light  of  an  immature 
judgment  he  thought  there  ought  to  be  some  stronger  and 
more  spiritual  ministry,  that  should  less  depend  upon  our 
self-help,  but  should  take  us  off  our  feet,  and  fling  us  into 

1  In  a  letter  to  F.  W.  Newman,  Nov.  27,  1882. 
58  Bi.  Mem. 

24 


I82I-X822]     RELIGIOUS  AWAKENING 

a  diviner  life  than  that  which  prevailed  among  us."  It  was 
in  reference  to  such  a  moment  that  in  his  old  age  he 
asked,  — "  Who  can  ever  forget  the  intense  and  lofty 
years  when  first  the  real  communion  of  the  Living  God,  — 
the  same  God  that  received  the  cries  of  Gethsemane  and  Cal- 
vary, —  and  the  Sanctity  of  the  inward  Law,  and  the 
sublime  contents  of  life  on  both  sides  of  death,  broke  in 
a  flood  of  glory  upon  his  mind,  and  spread  the  world  before 
him,  stripped  of  his  surface-illusions  and  with  its  diviner 
essence  cleared?  "  ^ 

One  other  influence  must  not  be  overlooked,  as  it  is  re- 
ferred to  by  himself.  In  the  house  of  Mr.  Higginson  he 
met  a  companion,  who  was  to  be  the  partner  of  a  large 
portion  of  his  life.  "  The  incipient  attachment  which,  seven 
years  after,  was  crowned  by  marriage,  favoured  the  mood 
of  enthusiasm  which  impelled  "  him  towards  the  Christian 
ministry.^  The  result  of  these  various  influences  was  that 
at  the  end  of  a  year  he  expressed  his  wish  to  change  his  pro- 
fession. His  father  warned  him  that  he  was  courting  pov- 
erty, but  recognising,  no  doubt,  the  purity  and  depth  of 
his  resolution,  consented  to  the  change  of  plan,  bore  without 
reproach  the  forfeiture  of  the  premium  paid  to  Mr.  Fox, 
and  engaged  to  bear  the  expense  of  his  theological  education. 

At  that  time  the  national  universities  were  closed  against 
Dissenters,  and  it  was  necessary  for  them  to  resort,  for  their 
higher  education,  to  little  colleges  founded  and  maintained 
by  themselves,  in  which  the  traditions  of  university  culture, 
handed  down  from  the  time  of  the  Act  of  Uniformity  of 
1662,  were  carefully  maintained.  Manchester  New  College 
was  the  principal  institution  to  which  Unitarians  resorted 
for  their  training  both  in  arts  and  in  theologv'.  Founded  in 
Manchester   in    1786,   on  the  closing  of  the   Warrington 


1  "  Loss  and  Gain  in  Recent  Theology,"  reprinted  in  the  collected  Essays, 
IV.  p.  330. 
«  Bi.  Mem. 

25 


EDUCATION  [1822-1827 

Academy,  it  was  removed  to  York  in  1803,  to  be  placed 
under  the  direction  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Wellbeloved,  who 
continued  at  its  head  till  its  return  to  Manchester  in  1840. 
The  College  was  situated  in  Monkgate,  outside  Monkgate 
Bar,  one  of  the  old  city  gates,  on  the  left-hand  side  of  the 
Scarborough  Road  as  one  leaves  the  town.  The  buildings, 
though  not  erected  for  the  purposes  of  the  College,  formed 
three  sides  of  a  gravelled  quadrangle.  Fronting  the  street 
was  the  residence  of  the  Tutor  in  Mathematics,  and  Natural 
and  Experimental  Philosophy,  who  at  the  time  which  our 
narrative  has  reached  was  the  Rev.  William  Turner,  M.A. 
On  each  side  were  small  houses,  converted  into  rooms  for 
the  students ;  and  opposite  the  tutor's  residence  was  a  wall, 
with  a  gate,  which  was  duly  locked  at  fixed  hours.  A  lec- 
ture-hall, with  class-rooms,  and  dwelling-rooms  over  them, 
had  been  built  nearly  behind  Mr.  Turner's  house.  Here 
prayers  were  read  daily  at  8  a.  m.  and  9  p.  m.  by  the  students 
in  succession,  the  lay  students  taking  their  turn  with  those 
preparing  for  the  ministry.  The  students  met  for  breakfast, 
dinner,  and  supper  in  the  dining-room  of  Mr.  Turner's 
house.  They  had  tea  in  their  private  rooms,  usually  arrang- 
ing to  meet  in  parties  of  three  or  four.  The  dinner-table, 
which  formed  three  sides  of  a  square,  was  presided  over 
not  only  by  Mr.  Turner,  but  also  by  his  wife.^  The  theo- 
logical and  classical  tutors  lived  not  far  off,  and  four  of  the 
young  men  resided  in  the  house  of  the  latter.  The  old 
St.  Saviourgate  Meeting-house  served  as  a  College  Chapel, 
where  the  students  were  expected  to  attend  twice  on  Sunday. 
In  the  afternoon,  at  least  at  a  later  time,  a  student  preached ; 
and  if  his  sermon  by  its  length  hindered  his  fellow-students 
from  reaching  the  Minster  in  time  for  the  anthem  "  his 


1  These  and  other  particulars  are  drawn  from  recollections  of  Mr.  Alfred 
Paget  of  Leicester,  who  for  about  a  year  and  a  half  was  a  fellow-student  of  Dr. 
Martineau's.  They  have  been  kindly  supplied  by  his  daughter,  Miss  Clara  J. 
Paget. 

26 


1822-1827]  COLLEGE    LIFE 

zeal  was  not  blessed  by  his  (College)  hearers."  A  student 
of  later  date  refers  "  to  the  awe  and  wonder  of  the  great 
Cathedral,  the  entrancing  strains  of  the  mighty  organ  played 
by  a  consummate  musician,  and  not  least  the  golden  glory 
of  the  declining  sun  falling  through  the  west  window  as 
we  departed."*  It  is  interesting  to  observe  that  the  use  of 
alcoholic  beverages  was  forbidden,  and  in  their  place  the 
students  drank  strong  coffee,  "  the  preparation  of  which 
was  a  tradition  of  the  College  solemnly  imparted  to  each 
neophyte  by  some  benevolent  senior."  *  As  a  provision  for 
less  busy  hours  there  was  a  large  grassy  space  at  the  back 
of  the  College,  where  the  students  used  to  walk,  and  talk, 
and  practise  games.  There  one  day  a  young  lay  student 
made  bold  to  address  Martineau  by  his  Christian  name,  and 
the  new-comer's  elder  brother  was  very  indignant  with  him 
for  taking  such  a  liberty,  but  Martineau  laughed  it  off.  For 
exercise,  pole-leaping  was  much  in  vogue.  Cricket,  then 
less  common  than  it  has  since  become,  was  introduced  in 
1827,  and  the  club  included  Martineau  among  its  members.'^ 
Boating  on  the  Ouse,  however,  was  a  favourite  recreation, 
and  Martineau  had  a  fine  boat,  which  was  sent  to  him  as  a 
present  from  his  father  all  the  way  from  Norwich;  and 
there  is  a  record  of  his  having  sold  it  for  nine  guineas  after 
he  left  College.^  The  tedium  of  study  was  further  relieved 
by  various '  societies,  for  cultivating  the  power  of  debate, 
gaining  familiarity  with  Shakespeare,  practising  glees,  and 
other  purposes. 

It  is  necessary  to  glance  at  the  qualifications  of  the  men 
under  whose  guidance  the  education  of  young  Martineau 
was  now  placed,  and  especially  at  his  own  estimate  of  them ; 
for  though  the  veneration  of  a  pupil  may  seem  to  indifferent 


1  Mr.  W.  H.  Herford,  who  has  kindly  communicated  some  particulars  from 
his  memory  of  a  later  period. 

2  From  Mr.  Alfred  Paget. 

8  In  a  letter  of  April  25,  1828. 

27 


EDUCATION  [I8a2.i827 

spectators  to  throw  a  halo  of  pious  imagination  around  his 
teachers,  still  for  him  the  elevating  influence  was  real,  and 
love  sees  further  into  the  soul  than  indifference.  The  Rev. 
Charles  Wellbeloved  was  the  Theological  tutor,  and  was 
in  the  full  maturity  of  his  powers.  He  lived  till  1858,  when 
he  died  on  the  29th  of  August,  in  the  ninetieth  year  of  his 
age.  In  an  address  delivered  in  the  following  October,  at 
the  opening  of  the  Session  of  Manchester  New  College,  Mr. 
Martineau  paid  him  a  noble  tribute  of  reverential  affection, 
from  which  one  or  two  extracts  must  be  given.  He  says: 
"  Permit  me  ...  to  fall  back  for  a  moment  into  the  posi- 
tion of  a  student,  to  recall  the  priceless  memories  of  that 
eager  and  thirsting  time,  and  once  more  turn  a  grateful  look 
to  the  benignant  form  now  sinking  into  the  shadows  of  the 
past.  Well  do  I  remember  the  respectful  wonder  with  which 
we  saw,  as  our  course  advanced,  vein  after  vein  of  various 
learning  modestly  opened  up ;  the  pride  with  which  we  felt 
that  we  had  a  Lightfoot,  a  Jeremiah  Jones,  and  an  Eichhorn 
all  in  one,  yet  no  mere  theologian  after  all,  but  scarcely  less 
a  naturalist  and  an  archaeologist  as  well;  the  impatience 
with  which,  out  of  very  homage  to  his  wisdom,  we  almost 
resented  his  impartial  love  of  truth  in  giving  us  the  most 
careful  epitome  of  other  opinions  with  scarce  the  suggestion 
of  his  own."  He  was  "  a  master  of  the  true  Lardner  type, 
candid  and  catholic,  simple  and  thorough,  humanly  fond 
indeed  of  the  counsels  of  peace,  but  piously  serving  every 
bidding  of  sacred  truth.  Whatever  might  become  of  the 
particular  conclusions  which  he  favoured,  he  never  justified 
a  prejudice;  he  never  misdirected  our  admiration;  he  never 
hurt  an  innocent  feeling  or  overbore  a  serious  judgment; 
and  he  set  up  within  us  a  standard  of  Christian  scholarship 
to  which  it  must  ever  exalt  us  to  aspire."  ^  The  extreme 
impartiality  which  sometimes  cast  a  chill  upon  the  ardour 


1  See  the  whole  passage  in  Essays,  IV.  p.  53  sqq. 

28 


I8aa-i827]  COLLEGE    LIFE 

of  youth  appeared  to  Mr.  Wellbeloved  to  be  required  by 
the  principle  of  the  College,  which  then,  as  now,  imposed 
no  theological  tests,  and,  instead  of  indoctrinating  its  stu- 
dents, endeavoured  to  provide  them  with  sound  materials 
for  the  construction  of  their  own  edifice  of  belief.  Dr. 
Martineau  thus  witnessed  in  its  extreme  form  fidelity  to 
that  principle  to  which  he  himself  was  so  loyal  in  his  later 
years ;  but  he  put  a  somewhat  different  interpretation  upon 
its  requirements,  and,  while  treating  all  reverent  opinion 
with  equal  respect  and  never  attempting  to  impose  authori- 
tatively his  own  convictions,  he  did  not  think  it  his  duty  to 
withhold  from  the  student  that  clear  expression  of  belief 
and  that  personal  guidance  amid  conflicting  systems  which 
the  bewildered  inquirer  finds  so  helpful  and  stimulating. 

The  Rev.  John  Kenrick,  M.A.,  was  the  tutor  in  the  Greek 
and  Latin  languages,  History,  and  Literature.  He  had  been 
educated  for  the  Non-conformist  ministry,  had  taken  his 
degree  in  the  University  of  Glasgow,  where  he  gained  high 
distinction,  and  had  recently  spent  a  year  in  Germany,  where 
he  studied  under  Wolf,  Boeckh,  and  Zumpt,  besides  listen- 
ing to  Schleiermacher  and  other  less  distinguished  men. 
In  due  time  he  rose  to  eminence,  and  successive  works 
which  issued  from  his  pen  placed  him  in  the  front  rank  of 
eminent  scholars.  Like  Mr.  Wellbeloved,  he  reached  his 
ninetieth  year,  and  when  in  1877  D^-  Martineau  contributed 
an  obituary  account  of  him  to  the  Theological  Review^  the 
WTiter  looked  back  through  half  a  century  to  the  classes  from 
which  he  had  carried  "  a  standard  of  philological  accuracy, 
of  historical  justice,  of  literary  taste,"  which  ever  afterwards 
directed  his  aspirations.  From  this  account  a  few  descrip- 
tive words  may  be  added :  "  Look  at  him  in  his  lecture- 
chair,  at  the  age  of  thirty,  and  cut  off  from  view  all  below 
his  face,  and  in  the  massive  brow,  the  steady  eyes,  the  full 
deliberate  lips  and  measured  frugality  of  words,  you  would 
take  him  for  a  veteran  scholar  who  had  taught  so  long  as  to 

29 


EDUCATION  [1822-1827 

have  outgrown  the  use  of  books."  "  The  whole  method  of 
Mr.  Kenrick  in  the  conduct  of  his  department  was  marked 
by  a  paramount  devotion  to  the  requirements  of  his  stu- 
dents, and  a  disinterested  suppression  of  all  erudition  su- 
perfluous for  them."  In  his  "  treatment  of  every  subject, 
there  seemed  to  be  one  constant  characteristic,  —  a  compre- 
hensive grasp  of  its  whole  outline,  with  accurate  scrutiny 
of  its  separate  contents.  Nothing  fragmentary,  nothing 
discursive,  nothing  speculative,  broke  the  proportions  or 
disturbed  the  steady  march  of  his  prearranged  advance." 
"  More  than  anyone  we  have  ever  met  in  life,  he  surren- 
dered himself  unconditionally  to  objective  evidence;  would 
accept  anything,  where  this  was  cogent;  nothing,  where  it 
failed."  "  He  was  above  ambition,  incapable  of  pretence, 
eager  to  see  things  as  they  are,  and  assured  that,  through 
the  darkness  that  sometimes  enfolds  them,  the  only  guide 
is  the  unswerving  love  of  truth."  ^ 

The  resident  tutor,  the  Rev.  William  Turner,  M.A.,  who 
has  been  already  alluded  to,  was,  though  less  distinguished, 
thoroughly  qualified  for  the  duties  of  his  position. 

In  addition  to  the  teaching  of  the  regular  staff  we  hear 
of  lessons  in  elocution,  given  by  an  actor  from  Covent 
Garden  or  Drury  Lane. 

Among  the  influences  of  College  life  an  important  place 
must  be  assigned  to  the  companionship  of  fellow-students. 
During  the  whole  or  a  part  of  the  time  when  Mr.  Martineau 
was  at  York  several  men  were  at  the  College  who,  in  subse- 
quent years,  were  highly  respected,  and  occupied  positions 
more  or  less  distinguished  in  the  ministry,  in  law,  in  med- 
icine, or  in  business.  A  few  of  these,  who  are  more  nearly 
connected  with  this  biography,  may  be  mentioned :  Ed- 
ward Tagart,  who  succeeded  Mr.  Madge  at  Norwich,  and 
married  the  widow  of  Thomas  Martineau,  the  eldest  brother 


1  Essays,  I.  p.  397  sqq. 

30 


I822-I827]  COLLEGE    LIFE 

in  the  Norwich  family;  John  Hugh  Worthington,  who  was 
for  a  time  engaged  to  Miss  Harriet  Martineau,  and  whose 
sad  and  brief  story  need  not  be  here  repeated;  Frankhn 
Howorth,  a  man  of  singular  devoutness  and  purity  of  char- 
acter; R.  B.  Aspland,  who  was  Honorary  Secretary  of  the 
College  from  1846  to  1857,  and  thought  it  his  duty  to 
oppose  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Martineau  to  the  chair  of 
Philosophy;  Edward  Higginson,  brother  of  the  future 
Mrs.  Martineau ;  Francis  Darbishire,  to  whom  young  Mar- 
tineau was  so  strongly  attached  that  their  rather  exclusive 
comradeship  did  not  meet  the  full  approval  of  the  other 
students;  William  Gaskell,  M.A.,  for  so  many  years  the 
honoured  minister  of  Cross  Street  Chapel,  Manchester,  and 
subsequently  connected  with  the  College  as  Honorary  Sec- 
retary, Professor  of  English  History  and  Literature,  Chair- 
man of  Committee,  and  Visitor ;  and,  finally,  Samuel  Bache, 
who  married  Mrs.  Martineau's  sister,  and  for  about  thirty- 
six  years  was  a  well-known  minister  in  Birmingham. 

The  following  letters  to  Mr.  Thomas  Hornblower  Gill, 
relating  to  two  of  these  early  friends,  will  be  read  with 
interest : — 

The  Polchar,  Aviemore,  June  30,  1882. 

My  dear  Mr.  Gill,  —  Your  account  of  the  last  offices  at 
the  grave  of  our  beloved  friend,  Franklin  Howorth,  was  deeply 
interesting  to  me.  Indeed  it  so  fills  me  with  joy  to  think  of 
the  impression  left  by  his  simple  and  saintly  goodness  on  thou- 
sands of  hearts,  that  I  am  lifted  above  sorrow  for  a  death  which 
can  so  purify  the  spiritual  atmosphere  of  a  great  industrial 
community.  And  this  is  the  man  who,  for  his  too  faithful  and 
searching  demands  upon  the  conscience  of  his  first  hearers, 
had  to  be  got  rid  of  with  their  old  chapel,  in  exchange  for 
something  more  attractive  that  would  sit  easier  upon  life  and 
relieve  it  from  inward  reproach !  The  treatment  which  he  re- 
ceived left  on  me  an  impression  —  of  grieving  alienation  from 
the  prevailing  spirit  of  my  Unitarian  fellow-believers  —  from 
which  I  have  never  recovered;  and  though  my  thought  is 
still  largely  with  them,  my  heart  has  gone  over  into  other 
communions. 

31 


EDUCATION  [I822-I827 

I  am  very  glad  that  your  love  for  our  friend  found  voice  at 
his  grave.     No  one  could  so  well  and  faithfully  interpret  the 
reverence  and  affection   of  those   silent   listeners,   longing  to 
pour  forth  the  secret  that  filled  their  souls.  .  .  . 
Believe  me  ever, 

Yours  most  cordially, 

James  Martineau. 

In  a  speech  delivered  at  a  meeting  of  the  Domestic  Mis- 
sion in  Liverpool  in  1857,  Mr.  Martineau  referred  to  Mr. 
Hovvorth  as  one  for  whom  he  felt  "  a  deep  and  reverential 
affection,"  and  whom  he  recollected  "  at  the  same  desk 
with  himself,  reading  out  of  the  same  book,  giving  answers 
in  the  same  class,"  and  as  "  an  early  associate  of  his  in  many 
of  their  first  trials  of  ministerial  duty  and  Christian  affection 
which  formed  the  training  for  a  Christian  minister."  ^ 

The  Polchar,  Aviemore,  Aug.  28,  1882. 

Dear  Mr.  Gill,  —  Francis  Darbishire,  I  find,  quitted  York 
in  1826,  arrested  in  his  career  by  incipient  consumption,  which 
he  inherited  from  his  mother,  and  which  carried  him  off  in 
1833.  A  singular  revolution  was  wrought  in  his  character  at 
the  crisis  which  withdrew  him  from  College.  In  1825,  at  the 
time  of  our  religious  meetings,  he  shared  all  the  enthusiasm 
which  brought  us  together;  and  in  all  relations,  human  as 
well  as  divine,  was  aglow  with  affections  at  once  lofty  and 
tender,  and  brimming  over  with  the  free  expression  of  them. 
He  and  I  especially  were  like  two  lovers,  and  had  not  a  thought 
kept  from  one  another.  After  he  left  College  and  turned  to 
legal  studies,  he  came  to  look  upon  our  life  together  as  an  ener- 
vating romance,  and  severely  condemned  it  as  an  unworthy 
surrender  to  sentiment.  He  gathered  up  his  inward  force  into 
a  Spartan  rigour  of  self-suppression  and  reserve,  adopted  a 
prosaic  estimate  of  men  and  things,  content  with  small  expec- 
tations from  them ;  and  objected  to  any  utterance  or  recogni- 
tion of  feeling;  though  he  retained  in  action  and  judgment 
the  high  faithfulness  of  conscience  which  had  always  distin- 
guished him.  Often  have  I  feared  that  I  was  the  unconscious 
cause  of  this,  by  putting  too  great  a  strain,  through  my  own 
fervours,  upon  a  nature  capable  indeed  of  being  wrought  up 


*  Taken  from  a  cutting  from  a  newspaper  report. 

32 


I822-I827]  COLLEGE    LIFE 

to  their  temperature,  but  normally  less  intensely  pitched.  His 
was  probably  the  wiser  level,  —  or  at  least  was  a  warrantable 
recoil  from  a  foolish  and  untenable  one.  With  his  small  allow- 
ance of  years,  he  had  to  learn  his  mistake  quickly ;  while  we 
through  our  long  probation  could  afford  to  be  slow  pupils  of 
experience,  and  come  to  a  sober  mind  by  insensible  fading  of 
the  colours  once  too  bright.  I  well  remember  the  Selby  day 
described  in  Howorth's  letter.  It  was  recalled  to  me  vividly 
not  long  ago  by  my  alighting  on  the  evening  sermon  amongst 
a  host  of  others  which  I  was  committing  to  the  flames.  Those 
missionary  excursions  were  full  of  deep  interest  for  us,  and 
were,  as  I  believe,  an  admirable  discipline  for  our  future  work. 
Our  excellent  tutors,  especially  Mr.  Wellbeloved,  looked  upon 
them  with  dislike,  from  a  very  natural  contempt  for  our  quali- 
fications as  preachers,  and  from  desire  to  reserve  all  our  zeal 
for  study  alone.  But  the  congregations  seemed  to  find  some- 
thing quickening  in  these  unstudied  services,  which  made 
amends  for  their  youthful  crudeness  of  thought.  And  those 
who  were  most  deeply  engaged  in  them  were  certainly  among 
the  most  assiduous  and  thorough  students  in  their  College 
work. 

With  regard  to  our  dear  friend  Howorth,  I  have  really 
nothing  to  add  to  the  general  record  of  my  impressions  already 
given.  His  character  was  simple ;  our  life  was  simple ;  our 
tie  was  simple,  —  that  of  a  common  aim  at  Christian  faithful- 
ness ;  and  with  these  elements  the  story  is  told.  He  was  not 
intellectual ;  with  other  of  my  companions,  there  were  dis- 
cussions and  competitions;  but  such  interests  he  never  car- 
ried beyond  the  class-room.  He  was  irreproachable ;  and  there 
were  with  him  none  of  the  alienations  and  remonstrances  which 
now  and  then  disturbed  the  harmony  of  our  society,  and  even 
led  to  tragic  scenes.  So,  though  I  have  nothing  to  withhold 
or  prohibit,  neither  can  I  contribute  anything  which  will  add 
a  single  touch  to  the  portraiture  so  happily  committed  to  your 
hands. 

Believe  me  always, 

Yours  most  sincerely, 

James  Martineau. 

Dr.  Martineau's  own  reminiscences  of  his  College  days 
may  now  be  presented  in  words  written  at  two  widely  sep- 
arated periods  of  his  life.     The  first  paragraph  is  from  a 
sermon  preached  at  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  College, 
3  33 


EDUCATION  [i82a-x827 

on  tlic  24th  of  January,  1836;  the  subsequent  fuller  account 
is   from  the  Biographical   Memoranda :  — 

"  With  respect  to  the  College  of  which  I  have  now  the  privi- 
lege to  be  the  advocate,  and  had  once  the  higher  privilege  to 
be  a  pupil,  I  can  hardly  venture  to  sjieak,  lest  in  the  warmth 
wherewith  I  might  enumerate  my  obligations,  I  should  seem 
to  ascribe  to  it  more  than  I  possess.  A  retrospect  of  the  peace- 
ful period  of  youthful  studies,  over  eight  intervening  years  of 
toil  not  without  its  tears,  is  apt,  indeed,  to  exhibit  the  past  in 
colours  too  tender ;  its  faint  voices  come  to  us  as  a  melody 
athwart  the  troubled  waters  of  life.  However  that  may  be,  I 
must  render,  in  a  word,  my  tribute  of  gratitude.  The  hours 
spent  in  that  much-loved  retirement,  I  muse  on  with  delight: 
the  ideas  with  which  they  furnished  me  are  among  my  choicest 
treasures ;  and  those  who  imparted  these  ideas,  or  enabled  me 
to  find  them,  live  and  grow  in  my  most  affectionate  venera- 
tion. Would  that  all  could  enter  life  through  such  a  vestibule 
of  well-directed  years !  and  life  would  be  to  them  a  temple  of 
duty,  consecrated  by  cheerful  memories,  and  kindling  with 
inextinguishable  hopes." 

"  The  five  years  spent  at  York  include  —  like  every  college 
period  —  considerable  chapters  of  inward  history ;  but  only 
a  few  memorable  outward  changes.  Without  taking  an  equal 
interest  in  all  the  College  classes,  I  made  it  a  point  of  con- 
science to  give  impartial  attention  to  the  studies  prescribed  for 
each  year ;  and  was  content  to  bear  the  inevitable  consequence, 
that  in  this  or  that  subject  I  was  liable  to  be  outstripped  by 
specialists.  Such  small  credit,  however,  as  may  attach  to  suc- 
cessful competition  among  twenty  associates  fell  to  my  lot  in 
some  form  at  the  end  of  every  session  open  to  honours. 
Though  I  had  no  longer  any  professional  motive  for  prose- 
cuting mathematical  studies,  Mr.  W.  Turner's  admirable  teach- 
ing gave  them  a  fresh  impulse  of  interest  for  me,  and  enabled 
me,  before  I  left  York,  to  attain  the  great  object  of  my  ambi- 
tion,— the  reading  of  Newton's  'Principia.'  Grateful  as  I  was 
to  him,  however,  I  owed  him  a  grudge  for  one  thing.  He 
taught  us  to  do  our  work  by  the  fluxional  instead  of  the  dif- 
ferential notation ;  and  it  cost  me  some  trouble  afterwards, 
when  I  had  under  my  care  students  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin, 
to  master  a  new  method,  and  impart  a  dexterity  which  I  had 
hardly  acquired.  The  same  remark  applies  to  Mr.  Wellbe- 
loved's  teaching  of  Hebrew,  without  the  points.     Excellent 

34 


i8a2-i827]  COLLEGE    LIFE 

Hebraists  may  doubtless  be  formed  under  these  conditions. 
But  scarcely  had  I  left  College  when  I  had  to  prepare  pupils 
for  examination  on  the  ordinary  grammar  and  the  pointed 
text;  and  the  preliminary  schooling  of  myself  for  this  duty 
was  a  task  of  needless  severity, 

"  Within  a  small  inner  circle  of  the  students  there  prevailed 
a  spirit  of  devout  and  semi-ascetic  enthusiasm  which  bound 
them  together  in  strong  affection  and  subordinated  their  in- 
tellectual industry  to  higher  inspirations.  One  effect  of  this 
was,  a  repugnance  to  prizes  and  honours,  as  an  indignity  of- 
fered to  the  intrinsic  nobleness  of  knowledge,  and  a  childish 
appeal  to  a  lessee  good  when  the  mind  is  thirsting  for  the 
greater.  This  feeling,  I  remember,  laid  powerful  hold  of 
John  Hugh  Worthington  and  of  myself,  just  when  we  had 
finished  our  competing  labours  for  the  most  coveted  College 
distinction,  —  a  prize  for  the  best  translation  into  Greek  of  a 
prescribed  excerpt  from  some  English  book.  For  six  weeks 
we  had  been  working  at  Ferguson's  '  Roman  Republic,'  in  the 
fond  hope  of  making  a  chapter  of  it  read  like  Xenophon.  We 
had  chosen  our  mottoes  and  sealed  up  our  MSS.,  when  lo! 
apart,  in  our  separate  rooms,  during  the  lonely  evening  medi- 
tation, a  secret  shame  at  our  poor  rivalries  fell  upon  us  both ; 
and  in  the  morning  was  confessed,  discussed,  confirmed.  We 
lost  no  time,  but  flung  our  packets  at  once  into  the  fire.  Our 
chief  regret  was  that  we  thus  condemned  our  remaining  com- 
petitor to  walk  the  course,  and  spoiled  the  zest  of  his  honours. 

"  While  this  fervour  of  spirit  animated  chiefly  the  most  as- 
siduous students,  it  rendered  the  dry  life  of  mere  intellectual 
industry  intolerable  to  them,  and  impelled  them  to  escape,  at 
least  on  Sundays,  into  a  higher  region  of  activity  and  affec- 
tion. They  allied  themselves  with  a  venerable  man  of  remark- 
able force  of  intellect  and  character,  who  for  half  his  life  had 
toiled  as  an  artisan  and  preached  as  an  apostle,  and  now,  in 
his  old  age,  needed  help  in  sustaining  the  village  congregations 
which  he  had  formed.  A  College  missionary  society  supplied 
John  Mason  with  a  band  of  youthful  coadjutors,  and  expended 
our  pent-up  zeal  in  labours  which  transported  us  from  books 
to  life.  In  the  village  of  Welburn,  almost  at  the  gates  of 
Castle  Howard,  the  society  to  which  we  preached  so  increased 
that  no  room  was  large  enough  to  hold  it ;  and  the  students 
managed,  during  one  of  their  vacations,  to  collect  the  means 
of  building  a  small  chapel.  Fancying  that  my  engineering 
experience  would  enable  me  to  construct  anything,  they  in- 
sisted on  my  acting  as  architect ;   and  it  devolved  upon  me  to 

35 


EDUCATION  [1822-1827 

draw  the  plans,  and  ride  over  periodically  to  superintend  the 
work.  On  one  of  these  visits  I  met  Sydney  Smith  on  the 
ground,  looking-  at  the  rising  walls.  He  was  incumbent  of 
the  parish,  and  could  not  regard  a  new  conventicle  with  favour. 
On  my  saying,  in  the  endeavour  to  parry  his  good-natured 
grumbling,  that  without  the  chapel  the  people  for  whom  it 
was  meant  would  go  nowhere,  he  replied,  '  Well,  well,  it  is 
a  pity  they  won't  all  come  to  me ;  but  so  long  as  you  only 
gather  and  tame  my  refractory  parishioners,  I  shall  look  upon 
you  as  my  curates,  to  get  the  people  ready  for  me.' " 

His  College  years  were  not  passed  w^ithout  pleasures  of 
a  more  domestic  character.  At  this  time  he  was  the  "  idol- 
ised companion  "  of  his  sister  Harriet.  On  Christmas  Day, 
1 82 1,  the  year  before  he  went  to  College,  his  mother  wrote: 
"  Your  letters,  I  really  think,  are  productive  of  more  pleas- 
ure to  her  than  any  one  circumstance  besides ;  she  does  love 
you  entirely,  as  you  do  her;  and  I  feel  an  inward  glory  in 
witnessing  such  a  pure  and  valuable  friendship  as  that  which 
subsists  between  you.  Long,  long  may  it  be  continued  unin- 
terrupted!" Once,  having  discovered  how  wretched  she 
was  when  he  left  home  after  the  College  vacation,  he  advised 
her  on  each  occasion  to  take  refuge  in  some  new  pursuit, 
and,  "  on  that  particular  occasion,  in  an  attempt  at  author- 
ship." The  result  was  that  she  wrote  an  article  for  the 
"Monthly  Repository,"  which  attracted  the  admiration  of  her 
eldest  brother,  who  was  not  in  the  secret,  and  thus  became 
the  beginning  of  her  great  literary  career.  Afterwards, 
when  she  proposed  to  write  the  "  Political  Economy  "  tales, 
"  brother  James,"  she  relates,  "nodded  assent;  my  mother 
said,  *  Do  it ' ;  and  we  went  to  tea,  unconscious  what  a  great 
thing  we  had  done  since  dinner."  *  It  was  no  doubt  owing 
to  such  incidents  that  she  wrote  in  a  published  letter,  of 
June  3,  1833,  to  M.  B.  Maurice,  in  reference  to  her  taste 
for  literary  pursuits,  —  "  that  which  has  contributed  to  it 


1  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  117  sq.,  139. 

36 


18241  TOUR    IN    SCOTLAND 

more  than  all  the  rest  is  the  affection  subsisting  between  me 
and  that  one  of  my  brothers  whose  age  is  nearest  to  my 
own,  and  who  adopted  one  of  the  learned  professions." 
Again,  "  From  that  moment,  I  was  continually  talking  with 
my  mother  and  the  brother  whom  I  have  mentioned  to  you, 
of  the  plan  which  I  am  at  present  executing."  ^ 

This  strong  attachment  between  the  brother  and  sister 
gave  a  peculiar  delight  to  a  pedestrian  tour  in  Scotland, 
which  the  kindness  of  their  father  enabled  them  to  enjoy  in 
the  summer  of  1824.  The  young  man  had  thrown  himself, 
with  all  the  ardour  of  his  nature,  into  the  studies  of  the 
College,  and  followed  them  with  such  exclusive  devotion, 
that,  before  many  months  had  passed,  his  mother  remon- 
strated with  him  about  his  long  silence,  occasioned,  as  she 
heard  and  believed,  by  too  anxious  application;  and,  as 
time  went  on,  his  friends  were  afraid  that  he  was  injuring 
his  health.  However,  he  and  his  sister  showed  no  lack 
of  physical  energ)'  on  their  tour.  They  proceeded  first  to 
London,  in  order  to  take  the  steamer  to  Edinburgh,  and 
embraced  the  opportunity  of  hearing  Edward  Irving,  and 
visiting  some  who  were  less  known  to  public  fame,  though 
highly  esteemed  in  their  own  circle.  He  also  called  on 
Mrs.  Barbauld ;  and  in  later  years  he  communicated  the 
following  recollections  of  his  visit  to  the  Rev.  Charles 
Beard :  — 

April  28,  1874. 

I  am  not  sure  that  I  ever  saw  Mrs.  Barbauld  more  than 
in  that  one  call  (in  1824,  I  think),  when  I  came  across  Sir 
James  Mackintosh  and  Samuel  Rogers  in  her  drawing-room 
at  Newington  Green.  How  I  could  gather  courage  to  knock 
at  her  door,  I  cannot  imagine ;  for,  as  a  student  at  College,  I 
was  not,  I  believe,  remarkable  for  effrontery ;  and  I  had  a 
profound  reverence  for  her  which  would  have  withheld  me 


^  The  reference  is  to  the  "  Illustrations  of  Political  Economy,"  which  M. 
Maurice  was  translating  into  French.  The  letter,  addressed  to  him,  was  pre- 
fixed to  the  French  translation,  and  rendered  back  again  from  the  French  in 
the  "  Monthly  Repository,"  1833,  p.  612  sqq. 

Z7 


EDUCATION  [1824 

from  any  uninvited  approach.  I  had  been  breakfasting,  I 
tliink,  with  Mr.  Riitt,  the  Editor  of  Priestley ;  and  either 
through  him,  or  through  an  aunt  of  mine,  Mrs.  Lee,  long  a 
neighbour  and  friend  of  Mrs.  B.,  I  believe  I  had  received  a 
message  of  welcome  which  I  thought  it  would  be  negligent  to 
disregard.  How  far  the  picture  which  remains  to  me  of  the 
thin,  frail  form,  the  delicately  chiselled  features,  the  bright 
sharp  eye,  is  pure  personal  memory,  or  is  helped  out  by  pub- 
lished portraiture  and  description,  I  cannot  tell.  With  my 
impression  of  her  kindly  and  gracious  reception,  and  of  her 
vivacious  pleasure  in  surprising  me  with  the  names  of  her  two 
visitors  on  their  leaving  the  room,  imagination  has  nothing  to 
do.  As  she  was  evidently  fatigued  by  the  previous  call,  I  did 
not  stay  long.  A  few  of  the  minutes  were  spent  in  trying  to 
translate  for  her  amusement  some  sentences  of  the  Greek  news- 
paper which  Lord  Byron  had  sent,  and  Mr.  Rogers  had  left, 
and  during  the  remainder,  some  questions  about  my  York 
studies  led  her  to  speak  affectionately  of  the  old  Warrington 
Academy,  and  the  pleasant  society  it  was  the  means  of  gather- 
ing together. 

It  may  have  been  on  this  or  a  previous  occasion  that 
he  saw  the  ghastly  sight  of  several  bodies  of  executed  crim- 
inals hanging  over  the  walls  of  Newgate.^  The  steamer 
sailed  on  the  27th  of  July;  and  the  month's  excursion 
which  followed  extended  as  far  North  as  the  Bruar  Falls, 
and  West  as  Loch  Awe.  The  following  account  is  given 
in  the  Memoranda :  — 

"  Taking  the  steamer  from  London  to  Edinburgh,  and  the 
coach  to  Perth,  we  there  assumed  our  knapsack  and  hand- 
basket  ;  and  never  stopped  till,  at  the  average  rate  of  fifteen 
miles  and  a  quarter  per  day,  we  had  walked  five  hundred 
and  thirty  miles.  The  lines  of  our  route  are  now  well-known 
tracks,  beaten  by  the  feet  of  Cook's  irregular  troops.  And  we 
had  no  more  exciting  adventure  than  that,  in  a  fruitless  rush 
to  catch  a  mountain  sunset,  I  got  benighted  on  the  Cobbler, 
and,  only  by  desperate  runs  and  slides,  reached  the  road,  soaked 
and  bruised,  just  as  my  sister  was  hastening  to  the  Arrochar 


1  Mrs.  Scott,  sister  of  Dr.  Birkbeck  Hill,  told  me  that  she  had  heard  this 
from  Dr.  Martineau  himself,  the  spectacle  having  been  seen  from  the  coach  on 
his  first  visit  to  London.  — J.  D. 

38 


1824]  TOUR    IN    SCOTLAND 

Inn,  to  arrange  a  torch-light  search  for  me.  But  it  was  a  de- 
lightful month.  To  both  of  us  it  was  a  first  free  admission 
into  the  penetralia  of  natural  beauty ;  and  we  walked  every- 
where with  hushed  feeling  and  reverent  feet.  We  were  per- 
fectly at  one,  both  in  the  defects  which  limited  our  vision  and 
in  the  susceptibilities  which  quickened  it,  neither  of  us  caring 
much  for  the  savage  romance  of  Scottish  traditions,  and  both 
being  intensely  alive  to  the  appeal  of  mountain  forms  and 
channeled  glens,  and  the  play  of  light  and  cloud  with  the  forest, 
the  corrie,  and  the  lakeside.  And  in  the  fresh  morning  hours, 
before  fatigue  had  made  us  laconic,  the  flow  of  eager  talk  — 
as  is  usual  with  young  people  —  ran  over  all  surfaces,  —  even 
plunged  into  all  depths,  —  human  and  divine;  with  just  the 
right  proportion  of  individual  difference  to  prevailing  accord- 
ance for  the  maintenance  of  healthy  sympathy.  That  journey 
lifted  our  early  companionship  to  a  higher  stage,  and  estab- 
lished an  affection  which,  though  afterwards  saddened,  on  one 
side  at  least  never  really  changed.  I  was  the  younger  by  three 
years ;  but  my  systematic  studies  so  far  redressed  the  balance 
as  to  render  reciprocal  respect  not  impossible ;  while  my  sis- 
ter's acute,  rapid,  and  incisive  advance  to  a  conclusion  upon 
every  point  pleasantly  relieved  my  slower  judgment  and  gave 
me  courage  to  dismiss  suspense." 

A  brother  of  Mr.  Charles  Wicksteed's  had  been  drowned 
in  Loch  Catrine;  and  the  following  allusion  to  this  event 
was  written  in  a  letter  from  Newcastle  in  the  September 
following  the  tour :  "  The  thought  of  him  and  of  the 
awful  and  impressive  circumstances  of  his  death  gave  me 
a  peculiar  interest  in  the  place;  though  it  is  a  matter  of 
perfect  indifference  what  the  scene  and  circumstances  of 
the  Christian's  departure  are,  yet  there  is  something  very- 
delightful  in  the  thought  of  the  last  repose  being  passed 
in  so  sweet  a  grave,  with  no  record  of  the  dead  but  in  the 
memory  of  the  living,  and  no  other  requiem  than  the  mur- 
mur of  the  water  and  the  music  of  the  breeze."  In  the 
same  letter  appreciative  reference  is  made  to  "  intercourse 
with  the  venerable  Mr.  Turner,"  of  Newcastle. 

But  if  the  York  period  had  its  pleasures,  it  was  not 
to  pass  without  severe  family  trials.     The  eldest  brother, 

39 


EDUCATION  [1823-1826 

Thomas  Martineau,  had  adopted  the  hereditary  profes- 
sion, and  settled  in  Norwich,  in  partnership  with  his  uncle, 
P.  M.  Martineau,  the  eminent  surgeon.  He  seems  to  have 
been  a  man  of  peculiarly  noble  character,  and  refined  in- 
tellectual tastes.  Symptoms  of  consumption  set  in,  and  early 
in  1823  he  went  in  search  of  health  to  Torquay,  accompanied 
by  his  recently  married  wife  and  his  sister  Harriet.  The 
visit  proved  unavailing,  and  it  was  decided  that  he  should 
go  with  his  wife  to  Madeira.  Prior  to  his  departure  the 
family  assembled  one  Sunday  evening  at  his  house,  and 
the  affecting  religious  service,  with  the  beautiful  prayer 
offered  by  "  brother  James,"  dwelt  long  in  the  memory  of 
those  who  were  present.-*  At  Madeira  he  lost  his  infant 
child,  and  he  himself  died  on  the  voyage  home,  in  the 
summer  of  1824.     Dr.  Martineau  thus  alludes  to  him:  — 

"  In  my  boyhood  his  elevation  of  character  and  refinement 
of  culture  had  lifted  him,  in  spite  of  his  sweetness  of  disposi- 
tion, too  far  above  me  for  his  influence  to  descend  upon  me 
with  power.  But  no  sympathy  was  so  ready  as  his  to  support 
my  change  of  profession ;  and  from  that  crisis,  the  elder 
brother's  reserve  seemed  to  pass  away ;  his  heart  opened  to 
me  many  a  secret  admiration  and  reverence  as  he  read  his 
favourite  poets  or  discussed  the  graver  problems  of  life ;  and 
as  the  beauty  and  balance  of  his  mind  revealed  themselves  to 
me,  I  reproached  myself  for  my  early  blindness,  and  mused 
upon  the  new  image  with  wondering  affection.  Our  inter- 
course being  only  occasional,  his  death  was  not  so  much  a 
removal  as  a  transfiguration."  ^ 

This  loss  was  followed  by  another,  which,  if  less  pa- 
thetic, had  much  larger  consequences  for  the  family.  At 
the  beginning  of  1826  the  father  became  seriously  ill.  In 
the  spring  he  was  sent  to  Cheltenham,  only  to  return  in 
a  few  weeks,  "  with  the  impression  of  approaching  death 
on  his  face."     His  son  James  was  summoned  from  York, 


1  Mrs.  Iligginson's  Notes. 

2  Bi.  Mem." 


40 


1826]  HIS    FATHER'S    DEATH 

and  in  a  letter  of  June  lo  speaks  of  the  agitation  of  the 
first  interview,  before  they  could  converse  with  calmness 
and  cheerfulness,  so  plain  was  it  that  the  end  was  at  hand. 
Delirium  ensued  from  increasing  weakness,  with  intervals 
of  paroxysm,  and  the  sleep  of  exhaustion.  He  needed  help 
which  only  a  man's  strength  could  supply,  and  James  slept 
close  to  his  room.  On  the  21st  of  June  he  *'  died  quietly, 
with  all  his  family  round  his  bed."  ^  His  business,  which 
had  been  prosperous,  declined  so  seriously  during  the  finan- 
cial crash  of  the  previous  season  that  he  was  obliged  to 
alter  his  will,  and  leave  his  daughters  what  "  could  barely 
be  called  an  independence."  They  were,  however,  prepared 
for  this  change ;  for  these  wise  parents  had  no  reserves  from 
their  children,  and  let  them  know  that  sooner  or  later  they 
might  have  to  work  for  their  own  living.  Even  this  rem- 
nant of  former  comfort  was  soon  to  disappear ;  for  in  June, 
1829,  the  old  Norwich  House  was  closed,  under  circum- 
stances admitted  to  be  highly  honourable,  and  the  mother 
and  daughters,  whose  money  had  been  placed  in  the  busi- 
ness, lost  at  a  stroke  nearly  all  they  had  in  the  world.^ 
Dr.  Martineau  describes  these  sad  events  in  the  following 
words :  — 

"  Business  anxieties  had  traced  their  lines  upon  his  face ; 
his  vigour,  which  had  always  depended  largely  on  hope,  had 
sensibly  declined ;  and  the  brightness  of  his  life  was  dulled, 
and  only  fitfully  reappeared.  He  was  in  the  shadow  before  he 
was  lost  to  sight.  Transparently  ingenuous,  faithful,  honour- 
able, and  gracious,  he  never  had  an  enemy,  except  the  spies 
and  informers  of  the  Liverpool  administration ;  and  if  he  left 
his  affairs  in  an  entangled  condition,  the  blameless  disaster 
fell  little  on  his  creditors,  mainly  on  his  family.  My  mother, 
whose  strength  of  mind  rose  to  every  emergency,  conformed 
herself,  instantly  and  without  repining,  to  the  twofold  change 
brought  by  sorrow  and  misfortune;    and,  throwing  her  quick 


1  H.  M.  Aut.,  I.  p.  129. 

*  lb.,  I.  p.  128,  141.     It  is  believed  that  all  the  debts  left  unpaid  at  the  time 
were  ultimately  discharged. 

41 


EDUCATION  [1826 

sympathies  into  my  sisters'  several  projects  for  self-mainte- 
nance, found  compensation  for  the  partial  break-up  of  the 
family  circle  in  the  new  and  separate  interest  attaching-  to  each 
daughter's  pursuits  and  experience.  The  troubles  of  gover- 
nesses, and  the  first  struggles  of  a  literary  career,  presented 
problems  strange  to  her;  but  her  admirable  judgment  and 
vigilant  affection  rendered  her  counsels  fertile  in  wise 
suggestion.  .  .  . 

"  As  I  could  not  let  my  expenses  at  York  be  a  tax  upon 
my  Norwich  brother,  I  applied  for  a  College  bursary,  and  re- 
ceived it  for  the  remainder  of  my  time.  My  vacation,  too, 
was  economically  spent,  without  indulgence  of  wandering 
propensities." 

A  trial  of  a  different  kind  must  receive  a  passing  notice. 
He  was  debarred  from  intercourse  v^ith  Mr.  Higginson's 
family  at  Derby,  with  the  exception  of  Edward,  who  was 
a  fellow-student;  and  letters  of  the  time  speak  of  four 
years'  "  exile  and  silence."  His  devoted  friend  Francis 
Darbishire  acted  as  a  confidant,  and  during  those  "  years 
of  suspended  intercourse  with  Helen  was  the  sympathetic 
medium  of  communication."  The  attachment  of  one  who 
was  still  a  minor  was  looked  upon  as  too  precarious  to 
justify  an  engagement ;  and  the  "  exile "  seems  to  have 
ended  with  his  birthday  in  1826  when  he  could  claim  to 
be  a  man.  It  will  not  violate  the  sacredness  of  their  en- 
gagement to  quote  a  few  words  from  Miss  Helen  Higgin- 
son's birthday  greeting,  addressed  to  him  on  April  19,  1827. 

"  It  seems  to  me  almost  inconceivable  that  a  year  ago  we 
were  so  nearly  as  if  we  had  never  met ;  for  so  indeed  we  were, 
compared  with  what  we  now  are  to  each  other,  in  love,  in  con- 
fidence, in  hope.  A  year  ago,  on  the  day  when  you  will  receive 
this,  you  were  writing  to  me  for  the  first  time  in  four  years, 
with  a  fervour  and  depth  of  feeling  characteristic  of  the  occa- 
sion, but  with  how  little  knowledge  of  my  character,  or  ac- 
quaintance with  my  heart !  And  yet  I  believe  that  the  time 
shall  come  when  the  present  perfection  of  love  and  confidence 
shall  be  to  our  matured  love  and  expanded  affections  as  that 
imperfect  past  is  to  us  now.    So  may  it  be  through  every  stage 

42 


1827]         CLOSE    OF    COLLEGE    LIFE 

of  this  life,  until,  united  endlessly  and  forever,  we  shall  look 
down  with  delight  on  these  steps  to  an  eternity  where  imper- 
fection and  ignorance  shall  be  no  more  known." 

This  notice  of  College  life  may  be  closed  by  some  remi- 
niscences furnished  by  a  fellow-student,  Mr.  Alfred  Paget. 
Martineau's  room  was  in  the  building  on  the  left,  as  one 
entered  from  the  street.  He  was  tall,  thin,  and  intellectual 
looking,  and,  while  he  was  distinguished  by  his  love  of 
study,  his  great  abilities  were  recognised  by  all.  He  was 
reserved,  and  did  not  join  freely  with  the  other  students 
even  in  recreation.  This  was  partly  due  to  his  absorbing 
friendship  with  Darbishire,  with  whom  he  read  and  walked, 
and  found  all  the  companionship  that  he  cared  for.  Hence 
he  became  "  more  genial  and  accessible  "  after  Darbishire 
left.  Mr.  Paget,  two  of  his  cousins,  and  Martineau  left 
College  at  the  same  time,  June,  1827.  They  joined  in  a 
farew^ell  party  with  their  fellow-students  at  Bishopthorpe, 
a  village  three  miles  off,  equally  accessible  by  road  or  river. 
Some  rowed  and  others  walked  out.  They  had  tea  at  an 
inn,  a  favourite  resort  near  the  river,  played  at  bowls  on 
the  green,  and  wound  up  with  a  bowl  of  punch,  drink- 
ing of  healths,  and  speech-making.  On  that  occasion 
**  Martineau  expressed  regret  for  having  confined  himself 
so  exclusively  to  one  friendship  during  part  of  his  College 
course,  and  said  that,  if  he  had  his  time  over  again,  he 
should  wish  to  avoid  that  error,  and  be  more  generally 
companionable." 


43 


Chapter  III 

FIRST   SETTLEMENT   AND    BEGINNING   OF 
MINISTERIAL    LIFE,  1827-1832 

As  his  College  course  drew  to  a  close  it  was  necessary 
for  young  Martineau,  whose  brilliant  qualities  were  already 
beginning  to  attract  attention,  to  look  round  him  for  a 
settlement  in  life.  He  had  some  negotiations  with  Lough- 
borough/ the  Park  Chapel  in  Liverpool,  and  Taunton; 
but  early  in  1827  he  received,  through  Mr.  Kenrick,  a 
proposal  from  Mrs.  Carpenter,  of  Bristol,  which  had  every- 
thing in  its  favour,  except  that  it  laid  out  for  him  no  min- 
isterial duty.  Dr.  Carpenter,  owing  to  failing  health,  was 
no  longer  equal  to  the  labour  of  his  busy  life,  and  was  at 
this  time  absent  on  the  continent,  seeking  to  recover  tone 
of  mind  and  body.  Martineau  was  invited  to  take  his 
place  at  the  head  of  the  school  during  his  absence,  and 
to  share  his  labours,  when  resumed,  on  liberal  terms  of 
partnership.  He  sent  an  answer  through  Mr.  Kenrick, 
accepting  the  offer,  with  distinct  reservation  of  self- 
dedication  to  the  ministerial  life.  To  that  ulterior  object 
he  thought  this  prior  experience  might  well  be  a  helpful 
introduction.  In  May  Dr.  Carpenter  felt  compelled  to  re- 
sign his  pulpit,  and  new  possibilities  were  thus  opened 
before  the  mind  of  the  youthful  preacher.  The  congre- 
gation, however,  were  not  in  a  hurry  to  make  a  fresh 
appointment,  as  they  hoped  that  their  former  pastor  would 


1  The  letter  declining  an  invitation  is  dated  Sept.  i8,  1826  (from  a  note 
furnished  by  the  Rev.  Clement  E.  Pike). 

44 


1827-1828]       WITH    DR.   CARPENTER 

be  able,  after  a  sufficient  period  of  rest,  to  take  up  once 
more  his  \vork  among  them;  and  these  hopes  were  not 
disappointed,  for  in  August,  1828,  Dr.  Carpenter,  having 
resolved  to  close  his  school,  acceded  to  the  earnest  request 
of  the  congregation  that  he  would  resume  his  duties,  which 
he  accordingly  did  in  the  following  January.  This  un- 
certainty in  the  state  of  affairs  at  Bristol  will  help  to  ex- 
plain Martineau's  future  action. 

And  now  we  must  view  him  for  a  short  period  as  a 
schoolmaster.  On  the  first  of  August,  1827,  he  proceeded 
from  Derby,  where  he  had  been  on  a  visit,  to  Bristol,  and 
at  once  flung  himself  with  characteristic  ardour  into  his 
new  employment.  His  friends  were  somewhat  alarmed 
by  the  amount  and  constancy  of  his  work,  and  his  future 
father-in-law  remarked :  "  If  Dr.  Carpenter  ever  did  any- 
thing like  what  James  has  represented  himself  as  doing, 
I  do  not  wonder  that  he  has  worn  out  body  and  mind 
together;  and  if  James  goes  on  so  till  Christmas  you  will 
see  him  exhausted  too."  ^  That  this  unstinted  labour  was 
not  thrown  away  is  proved  by  the  deep  impression  which 
he  made  upon  the  minds  of  the  boys  entrusted  to  his  care, 
and  the  affection  with  which,  through  life,  they  remem- 
bered those  early  days.  The  following  words  are  from  a 
letter  written  to  Mr.  Russell  Martineau  by  the  late  Dr. 
William  Radford  of  Sidmouth  on  Nov.  22,  1875.^ 

He  speaks  of  "  the  wonderful  zeal,  ability,  and  tact  he  dis- 
played when  he  undertook  the  very  delicate  and  very  onerous 
task  of  managing  Dr.  Carpenter's  School  during  his  long  ab- 
sence through  illness.  I  believe  all  of  Dr.  Carpenter's  pupils 
who  are  still  alive  would  agree  with  me  in  saying  they  never 
knew  or  heard  of  any  Schoolmaster  so  near  their  ideal  of  per- 
fection; one  who  had  such  lofty  aims  and  devoted  himself 
with  so  much  earnestness  and  so  much  judgment  to  carrying 


1  Reported  in  a  contemporary  letter, 

^  The  year  is  not  given  in  the  letter,  but  I  believe  the  above  statement  is 
correct.  —  J,  D, 

45 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN       [1827-1828 

them  out ;  one  who  exacted  so  much  work,  and  maintained 
so  strict  a  discipline,  yet  inspired  such  warm  affection.  When 
Dr.  Carpenter  returned,  he  wished  your  father  to  write  a  re- 
port of  his  stewardship.  One  passage  only  I  can  recollect; 
in  it  your  father  said  he  had  '  followed  in  Dr.  Carpenter's 
steps  at  a  very  humble  and  a  very  humbling-  distance,'  and 
the  passage  struck  me  because  I  thought  your  father  had  much 
underrated  his  success,  that  he  had  in  reality  approached  very 
near  to  the  original.  I  cannot  recollect  a  single  interruption 
to  the  harmony  and  happiness  of  his  reign  over  us,  or  one  ex- 
ception to  the  attachment  and  respect  that  was  felt  for  him  by 
his  pupils." 

That  the  old  friend's  recollections  were  true  to  the  feel- 
ing of  the  time  is  shown  by  the  following  letter  addressed 
to  Mr.  Martineau  by  his  pupils  on  his  retirement  from 
the  School :  — 

Dear  Sir,  —  It  is  with  mingled  feelings  of  pleasure  and 
regret  that  we  now  address  you  for  the  last  time  and  beg  your 
acceptance  of  these  volumes,  —  of  sincere  pleasure  when  we 
look  back  on  the  happiness  we  have  enjoyed  in  your  society, 
and  the  advantage  we  have  derived  from  your  instruction,  and 
your  unprecedented  kindness  in  our  hours  of  recreation  and 
amusement,  —  of  heartfelt  regret  when  we  consider  how  short 
our  connexion  has  been,  and  how  soon  it  must  terminate.  Be- 
lieve us  that  whether  our  present  separation  be  permanent  or 
not,  we  shall  ever  look  back  on  this  period  with  unimpaired 
satisfaction,  and  never  cease  to  cherish  the  same  feelings  of 
gratitude  and  attachment.  Whatever  be  the  circumstances  in 
which  you  may  hereafter  be  placed,  we  can  form  no  better 
wish  than  that  you  may  still  be  the  happy  means  of  rendering 
to  those  around  you  services  as  numerous  and  important  as 
those  you  have  conferred  on  us,  and  that  you  may  be  equally 
successful  in  gaining  their  esteem  and  affection,  and  we  shall 
consider  ourselves  fortunate  indeed  if  we  always  possess  a 
friend  as  watchful  over  our  happiness  and  as  attentive  to  our 
real  welfare  and  improvement. 

With  our  best  and  most  cordial  good  wishes  for  yourself 
and  all  connected  (or  to  be  connected)  with  you,  we  remain, 
dear  Sir,  your  most  affectionate  and  grateful  pupils. 
Bristol,  June  i8,  1828. 

The  following  was  Mr.  Martineau' s  reply :  — 

46 


I827-I828]      WITH    DR.   CARPENTER 

My  dear  Young  Friends,  —  No  degree  of  haste  shall  pre- 
vent my  conveying  to  you  a  reply,  however  brief  and  inade- 
quate, to  the  interesting  and  heart-touching  letter  which  1  have 
just  received.  I  prefer  the  plan  which  you  have  adopted,  of 
written  communication,  because  I  owe  a  reply  to  one  at  least, 
who  is  not  here,  and  because  I  cannot  trust  myself  to  say  to 
you  what  I  would  desire. 

I  accept  your  gift  as  an  offering  from  that  generosity  and 
delicate  kindness  by  which  your  conduct  to  me  has  always 
been  distinguished ;  I  accept  it  as  the  means  of  conveying  to 
me  good  wishes  which  I  sincerely  prize ;  I  accept  it,  that  it 
may  remain  with  me  as  a  lasting  memorial  of  a  year  of  in- 
teresting and  satisfactory  duty,  and  may  carry  my  thoughts 
and  my  wishes  towards  all  those  who  have  associated  their 
names  with  this  act  of  kindness.  Though  any  efforts  of  mine 
to  cultivate  in  you  those  pure  and  elevated  and  upright  dis- 
positions which  ought  to  form  the  main  object  of  Education 
have  especially  since  Christmas  been  superseded  by  the  influ- 
ence of  your  other  instructor,  whom  I  have  but  followed  at  a 
humble  and  humbling  distance,^  I  have  no  desire  for  any  of 
you  in  future  which  does  not  yield  in  earnestness  to  the  hope 
that  you  may  never  swerve  from  the  course  of  simple  duty, 
and  never  withdraw  your  steady  gaze  from  the  guiding  star 
of  Christian  Principle.  —  Farewell,  my  dear  boys.  I  cannot 
but  ask  myself  the  natural  question,  when  and  where  shall  we 
meet  thus  again ;  there  are  a  thousand  causes  which  may  and 
must  scatter  us  widely,  but  what  can  ever  thus  unite  us  except 
the  hour  and  the  place  in  which  all  must  be  collected?  To 
think  of  that  time,  serious  as  the  thought  is,  soothes  the  pain 
with  which  I  leave  you.  Oh !  may  there  be  no  wanderer 
there.  Once  more  farewell ;  whatever  lot  await  me  I  shall 
ever  be  your  faithful  and  attached  friend, 

James  Martineau. 

Bristol,  June  18,  1828. 

Dr.  Martineau's  own  impressions  of  that  busy  time  are 
recorded  in  the  following  paragraph :  — 

"  Accepting  the  offer,  with  the  affectionate  awe  of  an  old 
scholar  of  the  house,  I  entered  at  once  upon  the  duties  of  a 
position  to  which,  only  six  years  before,  I  had  looked  up  with 


1  This  must  be  the  clause  referred  to  above  in  Dr.  Radford's  letter,  errone- 
ously attributed  by  him  to  a  Report  which  he  was  not  likely  to  have  seen. 

47 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN       [1827-1828 

unbounded  trust  and  reverence.  The  household  management 
went  on  in  its  usual  achnirable  way,  under  Mrs.  Carpenter's 
direction,  and  left  me  free  for  the  schoolroom  and  the  study. 
But  there  were  some  pupils  so  advanced  in  culture  and  in  age 
as  to  demand  special  care  and  time ;  so  that  the  mere  teaching, 
ranging  over  many  subjects  and  every  stage,  was  no  slight 
strain  upon  my  energies.  And,  besides  this,  I  was  the  compan- 
ion of  the  boys  in  their  walks  and  play,  their  referee  in  the 
preparation  of  their  [?  lessons],  and,  above  all,  the  trustee 
of  parental  authority,  bound  to  study  their  dispositions  and 
quicken  and  direct  their  conscience.  Add  to  this  that,  being  al- 
ways on  the  spot,  I  was  a  convenient  resource  for  the  supply  of 
Dr.  Carpenter's  pulpit  whenever  other  substitutes  failed ;  and 
it  will  not  appear  surprising  that  I  look  back  upon  that  period 
as  one  of  severe  tension.  None  the  less  had  it  many  a  bright 
hour.  Through  the  recommendation  of  Dr.  Prichard  (author 
of  the  '  Physical  History  of  Man ')  I  was  admitted  to  a  small, 
almost  private,  Philosophical  Society  of  about  twelve  mem- 
bers, at  which  I  heard  the  ablest  local  men  —  including  John 
Foster,  Herepath,  Prichard,  Conybeare  —  discuss  the  newest 
questions  of  the  time  and  the  greatest  questions  of  all  time. 
One  friend  at  least,  Mr.  Samuel  Worsley,  still  remains  [1877] 
from  that  little  circle ;  and  though  unaware  how  much  his  own 
thoughtful  suggestions  and  accurate  geological  knowledge  con- 
tributed to  its  search  for  truth,  he  doubtless  registers  its  even- 
ing meetings,  as  I  do,  among  the  privileged  passages  of  life. 
Another  and  more  kindling  influence  I  found  in  the  preaching 
and  the  personal  acquaintance  (slight  as  it  was)  of  Robert 
Hall,  whose  Thursday  evening  services  in  Bradmead  I  attended 
as  often  as  possible.  Going  to  him  with  the  preconceptions 
imparted  by  his  magnificent  printed  Discourses,  I  was  at  first 
cast  down  and  distressed  by  his  hesitating  sentences  and  hack- 
ing voice ;  nor  could  I  find  in  the  thoughts  thus  uttered  any- 
thing to  compensate  for  their  unhappy  form.  As  he  proceeded, 
however,  the  checking  coughs  became  more  sparse,  the  clipped 
speech  more  continuous,  the  tone  richer,  the  meaning  bolder; 
till  at  last,  when,  wrapped  in  the  glow  of  his  ascent,  he  has 
lost  sight  of  the  people  and  the  place  and  feels  no  presence  but 
of  his  inward  vision  and  his  enfolding  God,  he  fairly  becomes 
the  organ  of  a  higher  Will,  and  paints  or  pleads  or  prophesies 
in  an  unbroken  flow  of  lofty  and  pathetic  meditation.  Per- 
suasion I  never  found  in  his  preaching,  but  the  contagious 
elevation  of  a  powerful  mind.  He  influenced  men  by  not  ad- 
dressing them,  yet  thinking  aloud  before  them.    The  more  he 

48 


1827-1828]      WITH    DR.   CARPENTER. 

forgot  them,  the  more  did  their  critical  mood  die  down,  and 
their  secret  sympathy  rise  up  and  go  with  him,  till  they  saw 
his  vision  and  prayed  his  prayer." 

At  the  age  of  ninety  he  still  looked  back  lovingly  to 
the  Bristol  days,  and  expressed  himself  as  follows  in  a 
letter  to  Miss  Estlin :  — 

May  II,  1S95. 

Dear  Miss  Estlin,  —  No  letter  occasioned  by  my  recent 
birthday  touches  upon  tenderer  memories  than  yours,  and 
from  my  inmost  heart  I  thank  you  for  so  vividly  recalling  to 
memory  a  figure  most  dear  while  visible,  and  sacred  ever 
since. ^  Three  years  only,  out  of  my  ninety,  were  spent  in 
Bristol,  and  in  Gt.  George  St.,  —  as  pupil  from  1819-1821, 
as  responsible  head  from  1827-1828;  but  they  contained  a 
more  fruitful  experience  in  its  bearing  on  the  course  of  future 
years  than  any  similar  section  of  my  life.  They  fell  within 
the  period  of  quickest  susceptibility  and  most  rapid  growth ; 
and  all  who  ministered,  either  intentionally,  or  by  the  mere 
presence  of  a  winning  and  impressive  personality,  to  the  ex- 
panding life  still  look  down  upon  me  with  un  faded  colours 
and  expression  from  the  picture  gallery  of  my  affection. 

The  links,  once  so  numerous,  connecting  me  with  Bristol, 
have  become  sadly  few,  or  nearly  worn  away.  Yet  I  do  not 
complain  of  the  loneliness  of  old  age,  which  only  calls  on  us 
to  wait  awhile  and  it  will  cease.  Besides,  it  is  the  privilege  of 
a  life  spent  mainly  in  teaching  to  fall  in  love  with  a  continuous 
series  of  young  people,  each  entering  on  a  life  full  of  interest- 
ing possibilities  and  openings  of  noble  hope,  so  there  is  no  ex- 
cuse for  shutting  oneself  up  in  the  past  and  trying  to  sleep 
through  the  stir  of  the  ever  moving  present. 

Accept   my  warmest   thanks,   and  believe   me   to  the   end. 
Yours  affectionately, 

James  Martineau. 

As  early  as  February,  1828,  mention  begins  to  be  made 
of  Dublin  in  his  correspondence  with  Miss  Higginson,  who 

^  J.  B.  Estlin,  Surgeon,  who  died  June,  1855. 

4  49 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [is^s 

was  fully  consulted  in  regard  to  all  his  plans.  She  approved 
of  his  refusal  to  take  any  initiative  in  the  matter,  though, 
next  to  Lewin's  Mead,  Bristol,  and  Cross  Street  Chapel, 
Manchester,  where  there  was  a  vacancy,  she  favoured  the 
idea  of  settling  in  Dublin.  About  this  time  an  incident 
which  seems  trifling  in  the  retrospect  illustrates  not  only 
his  strong  conscientiousness,  but  a  dependence  of  judgment 
which  was  less  known  to  those  who  were  familiar  in  public 
with  his  clear  decision  and  resolute  action.  He  had  re- 
ceived no  invitation  from  the  congregation  in  Manchester 
to  be  a  candidate  for  the  pulpit;  but  a  proposal  was  made 
to  him  that,  by  a  private  arrangement,  he  sliould  preach 
in  Cross  Street  Chapel  on  the  Sunday  before  the  election. 
The  authority  of  friends  whom  he  deeply  respected  weak- 
ened his  instinctive  repugnance  to  this  plan,  and  he  con- 
sulted Miss  Higginson  on  the  subject.  She  was  almost 
indignant  that  such  a  step  should  have  been  proposed,  and 
argued  the  question  with  such  clearness  and  force  as  to 
put  to  shame  all  hesitation.  Then  he  wrote  in  strong  com- 
punction for  having  allowed  his  own  aversion  to  the  private 
arrangement  to  be  so  far  overborne  as  to  consult  her  before 
sending  his  refusal,  and  expressing  deep  gratitude  to  her 
for  sustaining  and  clearing  his  best  feeling  on  the  matter. 
Her  reply  deprecates  his  "  exaggerated  self-reproach  "  and 
"  unreasonable  anguish,"  and  declines  to  accept  from  him 
a  **  venerating  love."  To  this  correspondence  Dr.  Martineau 
appends  the  note :  "  The  simple  truth  is  that  she  had 
in  a  moment  seen  the  right  with  far  more  decision  and 
clearness  than  I."  The  name  of  Martineau  having  been 
mentioned  by  Dr.  Carpenter  to  a  friend  in  Dublin,  he  re- 
ceived in  March  an  invitation  to  preach  in  Eustace  Street 
Presbyterian  IMeeting  House  in  that  city.  This  Meeting 
House  supported  the  services  of  two  ministers.  The  con- 
gregation dated  from  the  later  part  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  its  first  two  pastors  having  been  the  Provost  and 

50 


i8a8]  INVITATION   TO    DUBLIN 

one  of  the  Senior  Fellows  of  Trinity  College,  who  were 
ejected  under  the  Act  of  Uniformity  of  1662.  This  per- 
secuting Act  brought  a  considerable  accession  of  strength 
to  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Dublin,  which  was  further 
augmented  by  an  influx  of  French  Protestant  refugees. 
The  several  congregations  were  united  in  the  "  Associated 
Presbytery  of  Dublin,"  which  was  connected  with  the 
"  Synod  of  Munster,"  and,  taught  by  adversity,  consistently 
maintained  the  principle  of  non-subscription  to  religious 
tests.  The  two  congregations  of  Strand  Street  and  Eustace 
Street  had  undergone  a  gradual  theological  change,  and 
had,  before  the  time  of  our  narrative,  embraced  Unitarian 
views.  The  members  of  the  latter  especially  were,  never- 
theless, highly  conservative,  and  probably  most  of  the  mem- 
bers were  attached  to  Arianism  in  its  modern  form.  The 
Rev.  Philip  Taylor,  a  grandson  of  Dr.  John  Taylor  of 
Norwich,  had  been  a  pastor  in  Dublin  for  more  than  fifty 
years,  and  was  now  retiring  from  active  duty.  The  posi- 
tion, therefore,  for  which  Mr.  Martineau  was  invited  to  be 
a  candidate,  was  that  of  assistant  and  eventually  successor 
to  this  venerable  man,  a  native  of  his  own  ancestral  city. 
He  determined  to  accept  the  invitation,  and  visited  Dublin 
in  April.  He  had  received  a  friendly  warning  not  to  preach 
metaphysics,  and  had  learned  that  his  old  College  friend, 
Francis  Darbishire,  thought  his  delivery  "  almost  tumid." 
Whether  the  metaphysics  and  tumidity  were  irrepressible 
does  not  appear;  but  the  first  election  was  not  wholly  sat- 
isfactory, the  opinion  of  the  chairman  being  adverse.  To 
sympathetic  souls,  however,  there  was  already  deep  spiritual 
power  in  his  preaching.  In  the  summer  he  preached  in 
Norwich,  and  a  lady,  writing  under  the  first  impression  of 
his  sermon,  said  that  it  "  made  her  tremble  and  shudder 
with  delight,  and  cut  up  her  heart  into  repentance."  The 
objections  which  were  felt  in  Dublin,  whatever  they  were, 
were  overcome,  and  before  the  end  of  the  summer  Mr.  Mar- 
Si 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [isas 

tineau  removed  to  Ireland.  He  travelled  from  Newcastle, 
and  had  a  miserably  wet  and  stormy  journey  to  Port  Pat- 
rick. The  passage  across  the  Channel  was  terrific.  It  blew 
a  continued  hurricane.  "  Each  wave  was  like  a  great  world 
of  water  " ;  and  the  sea  broke  entirely  over  the  small  vessel, 
drenching  even  the  sails,  so  that  there  was  not  a  dry  thread 
on  board.  But  the  journey  from  Donaghadee  to  Belfast, 
and  thence  to  Dublin,  was  truly  delightful,  the  weather  and 
country  being  beautiful.  Pie  was  received  with  the  greatest 
affection  by  his  friends  at  Harold's  Cross,  and  kindly  by 
everyone.^  Some  of  his  English  friends  were  alarmed  about 
the  condition  of  Ireland,  which  was  then  pressing  its  claims 
for  Catholic  emancipation.  Mr,  Martineau's  convictions 
and  sympathies  were  strongly  in  favour  of  that  great  act 
of  justice;  and  a  short  acquaintance  with  Ireland  enabled 
him  to  write  these  reassuring  words :  "  This  transmarine 
alarm  is  the  cause  of  perpetual  amusement  here,  where  all 
is,  and  promises  to  be,  as  peaceable  as  in  England."  It  was 
not  only  on  his  journey  to  Dublin  that  he  was  impressed  by 
the  beauty  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  He  was  expecting  his  sister 
Rachel  to  join  him  in  his  lodgings;  and  one  Tuesday  even- 
ing in  October  he  enjoyed  a  lovely  stroll  by  the  seashore 
towards  Kingstown,  where  he  expected  to  meet  the  boat 
early  next  morning.  His  impression  must  be  given  in  his 
own  words :  — 

"  Imagine  the  clear  full  moon,  with  light  now  and  then  in- 
tercepted by  a  mass  of  fast-sailing  cloud,  shining  over  the  dis- 
tant mountains  before  me  and  on  my  right ;  a  fine  fresh  breeze 
ploughing  up  the  waters  of  the  vast  laay  on  my  left,  rolling 
them  furiously  to  the  beach,  separated  by  a  wall  only  from  my 
path  and  scattering  the  foam  and  spray  which  rose  and  flew 
before  it  in  a  thousand  rainbow  hues ;  three  or  four  distant 
lighthouses  appearing  to  speck  the  ocean  with  their  beacons, 
though  in  reality  crowning  the  brow  of  some  invisible  land; 

1  From  a  contemporary  letter.  Mr.  Taylor's  house  was  at  Harold's  Cross, 
near  Dublin. 

52 


i8a8]  HIS    ORDINATION 

not  a  sound  but  of  the  waves,  or  now  and  then  of  an  approach- 
ing footstep ;  nothing,  in  short,  to  remind  me  of  my  vicinity 
to  this  resort  of  men  except  the  city's  hghts  reflected  on  a  few 
overhanging  clouds.    It  was  a  scene  to  be  remembered."  ^ 

As  he  was  looking  forward  to  his  marriage,  and  the 
salary  was  small,  it  was  necessary  for  him  to  supplement 
his  income,  and  the  closing  of  Dr.  Carpenter's  School  en- 
abled him  to  do  so  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  Some  of  the 
older  pupils  were  ready  to  follow  him  to  Dublin ;  and 
especially  he  was  assisted  by  Mrs.  Radford,  a  widowed 
lady,  who  agreed  to  live  with  her  two  sons  under  his  roof, 
and  had  sufficient  confidence  in  him  to  offer  the  necessary 
advances,  nearly  £700,  for  purchasing  the  leasehold  interest 
of  an  adequate  house.  After  a  short  visit  to  friends  at 
Harold's  Cross  and  a  residence  of  several  weeks  in  lodgings 
with  his  sister  Rachel  in  Summer  Hill,  his  new  home  was 
at  last  fixed  in  Blessington  Street,  in  the  northern  outskirts 
of  the  city,  and  a  considerable  distance  from  his  Meeting 
House,  which  was  situated  near  the  southern  bank  of  the 
Liffey,  not  far  from  Essex  Bridge.  He  had  some  difficulty 
in  finding  a  suitable  house  with  a  moderate  rent,  and  it  was 
not  till  the  nth  of  December  that  he  joyfully  completed 
his  removal  to  the  dwelling  to  which  he  hoped  soon  to  con- 
duct his  bride. 

His  first  service  as  a  settled  minister  was  held  in  Eustace 
Street,  on  the  28th  of  September.  His  ordination  was 
postponed  till  the  26th  of  October;  and  the  occasion  was 
considered  suitable  for  a  full  exposition  and  defence  of 
Presbyterian  principles,  so  that  the  service  was  not  only 
impressive  from  its  solemnity,  but  perhaps  a  little  fatiguing 
from  its  length,  for  it  occupied  no  less  than  four  hours. 
Strand  Street  Meeting  House  was  closed  for  that  Sunday, 
so  that  its  ministers  might  do  their  part  as  members  of  the 


^  From  a  contemporary  letter  to  Miss  Higginson. 

53 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [1828 

Presbytery.  A  short  sermon  was  delivered  on  "  The  Char- 
acter, Duties,  and  Privileges  of  the  Christian,"  by  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Hutton  (the  grandfather  of  the  late  Richard  Holt 
Hutton),  who,  on  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Taylor,  had  become 
the  senior  minister  at  Eustace  Street.  This  was  followed 
by  an  elaborate  "  Discourse  on  Presbyterian  Ordination  " 
by  the  Rev.  James  Armstrong,  Senior  Minister  at  Strand 
Street.  He  maintained  that  in  every  matter  connected  with 
the  ministration  of  religion  the  appeal  must  be  to  the  Scrip- 
tures alone,  the  Bible  being  "  an  unerring  rule  of  faith  and 
conduct."  On  this  ground  he  rested  not  only  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  Presbyterian  order  of  Church  government,  but 
the  unswerving  adherence  of  their  congregations  to  Chris- 
tian freedom,  the  imposition  of  religious  tests  being  opposed 
to  the  sufficiency  of  Scripture.  He  explained  the  mean- 
ing of  ordination  in  the  following  terms :  "  By  ordination 
nothing  more  is  meant  than  the  solemn  appointment  of  an 
individual  to  some  office  in  the  Christian  Church,  which 
appointment  is  publicly  witnessed  by  Ministers  of  the  Gos- 
pel. By  the  laying  on  of  hands  nothing  more  is  meant  than 
a  significant  gesture  to  point  out  the  individual  who  is  thus 
set  apart,  and  for  whom  a  special  petition  is  offered  to 
Almighty  God."  At  the  close  of  the  address  he  referred 
to  the  "  free  right  of  popular  election,"  and  called  on  the 
members  of  the  congregation  to  testify  their  approval  of  the 
election  by  holding  up  their  right  hands.  Then,  addressing 
the  young  minister,  he  said :  "  Mr.  Martineau,  I  now  call 
upon  you  to  declare,  in  the  presence  of  the  ministers  here 
assembled,  as  witnesses  of  this  solemn  transaction,  your 
views  on  undertaking  the  important  office  to  which  you  are 
called  as  co-pastor  to  this  congregation."  Mr.  Martineau 
replied  in  a  short  address,  which  must  be  quoted  here,  since 
it  indicates  the  theological  convictions  which  then  had  pos- 
session of  his  mind,  and  the  view  which  he  took  of  minis- 
terial duty :  — 

54 


1828]  HIS    ORDINATION 

"  Every  minister  of  the  Gospel  I  conceive  to  be  the  servant 
of  Revelation,  appointed  to  expound  its  doctrines,  to  enforce 
its  precepts,  and  to  proclaim  its  sanctions. 

"  By  the  authority  of  this  Revelation  I  believe  myself  sup- 
ported when  I  assume,  as  primary  principles  in  the  conduct  of 
my  ministry,  that  the  first  and  simplest  religious  truths  are 
incomparably  the  most  momentous  —  that  there  is  no  being 
with  whom  we  have  so  much  to  do  as  God ;  and  that  as  all 
religion  begins,  so  also  does  it  end,  with  exhibiting  the  rela- 
tion which  man  bears  to  his  Creator.  To  this  infinite  Being, 
and  to  Him  alone,  do  I  ascribe  every  conceivable  perfection. 
He  is  the  source  of  power,  to  whom  all  things  are  possible  — 
He  is  boundless  in  wisdom,  from  whom  no  secrets  can  be 
hidden  —  He  is  love ;  the  origin  of  all  good,  himself  the  great- 
est; and  the  dispenser  of  suffering  only  that  we  may  be  par- 
takers of  his  holiness  —  He  is  spotless  in  holiness ;  his  will 
the  only  source  of  morality,  and  the  eternal  enemy  of  sin,  — 
He  is  self-existent  and  immutable,  —  for  ever  pervading  and 
directing  all  things,  and  searching  all  hearts ;  the  Being  from 
whom  we  came,  and  with  whom,  in  happiness  or  woe,  all  men 
must  spend  eternity. 

"  From  these  views  I  infer  that  it  is  my  first  office,  as  a 
Minister  of  Christ,  to  awaken  the  attention  of  my  people  to 
the  claims  of  this  one  infinite  Jehovah  upon  their  adoration, 
obedience  and  love.  As  I  believe  him  to  be  the  only  scriptural 
object  of  worship,  so  do  I  conceive  the  affections  implied  in 
that  worship  to  be  the  greatest  glory  of  the  human  soul,  and 
to  be  absolutely  essential  to  the  acceptable  discharge  of  duty 
here,  and  to  participation  in  the  felicities  of  heaven  hereafter. 
I  am  conscious  of  nothing  but  sincerity  in  saying,  that  to  in- 
spire in  others  and  in  myself  a  devotion  ever  fervent  and 
humble,  which  shall  have  a  bearing  on  every  duty,  purify 
every  thought,  and  tranquillise  every  grief,  I  desire  to  make 
the  main  object  not  only  of  my  ministry,  but  of  my  life. 

"  At  the  same  time  I  believe,  that  of  the  will,  the  purposes, 
perhaps  even  the  existence  of  Jehovah,  we  should  have  re- 
mained in  ignorance,  had  he  not  revealed  himself,  partially  by 
patriarchs  and  prophets  of  old,  and  more  gloriously  by  Jesus 
Christ,  his  well-beloved  Son.  Him  I  acknowledge  as  the  Medi- 
ator between  God  and  man,  who  was  appointed  to  produce  by 
his  life,  and  yet  more  peculiarly  by  his  death,  an  unprecedented 
change  in  the  spiritual  condition  of  mankind,  and  to  open  a 
new  and  living  way  of  salvation.  No  pledge  of  Divine  love  to 
the  human  race  impresses  me  so  deeply  as  the  voluntary  death 

55 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [1828 

of  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  exaltation  to  that  position  which  he 
now  holds  above  all  other  created  beings,  where  he  lives  for 
ever  more,  and  from  which  he  shall  hereafter  judge  the  world 
■  in  righteousness.  I  receive  and  reverence  him,  not  merely  for 
that  sinless  excellence,  which  renders  him  a  perfect  pattern  to 
our  race,  but  as  the  commissioned  delegate  of  heaven,  on  whom 
the  Spirit  was  poured  without  measure  —  as  the  chosen  repre- 
sentative of  the  Most  High,  in  whom  dwelt  all  the  fulness  of 
the  Godhead  bodily.  As  authorities  for  our  duties,  as  foun- 
tains of  consoling  and  elevating  truth,  Jesus  and  the  Father 
are  one;  and,  in  all  subjects  of  religious  faith  and  obedience, 
not  to  honour  him  as  we  honour  the  Father,  is  to  violate  our 
allegiance  to  him  as  the  great  Captain  of  our  salvation.  When 
Jesus  commands,  I  would  listen  as  to  a  voice  from  heaven ; 
when  he  instructs,  I  would  treasure  up  his  teachings  as  the 
words  of  everlasting  truth ;  when  he  forewarns  of  evil,  I 
would  take  heed  and  fly  as  from  impending  ruin ;  when  he 
comforts,  I  would  lay  my  heart  to  rest  as  on  the  proffered 
mercy  of  God;  when  he  promises,  I  would  trust  to  his  assur- 
ances as  to  an  oracle  of  destiny. 

"  Hence,  I  regard  it  as  my  duty  to  lead  my  hearers  to  this 
Saviour,  as  the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life;  to  urge  on  them 
his  injunctions;  to  awaken  in  them  a  vital  faith  in  his  mis- 
sion, an  awe  of  his  authority,  a  reliance  on  his  predictions. 
More  especially  would  I  impress  them  with  the  conviction  that 
this  life  is  the  infancy  of  existence ;  that  its  discipline  is  de- 
signed to  conduct  them  to  a  state  where  all  that  is  imperfect 
shall  be  done  away ;  and  that  as  they  know  not  the  day  nor 
the  hour  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  appear,  it  becomes  them, 
by  vigilance  and  prayer,  to  hold  themselves  ready  at  every 
watch. 

"  These,  then,  I  regard  as  the  primary  duties  of  the  Chris- 
tian minister;  to  awaken  devotion  to  God,  obedient  faith  in 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  practical  expectation  of  eternity. 
But  I  conceive  that  there  are  other  and  secondary  duties,  to 
the  claims  of  which  he  must  not  be  indifferent. 

"  The  successive  revelations  of  God's  will  to  mankind  I 
believe  to  be  contained  in  the  Jewish  and  Christian  Scriptures. 
These  Scriptures  were  written  in  languages  now  extinct,  and 
are  the  productions  of  a  people  widely  separated  from  us,  not 
only  by  time  and  distance,  but  by  manners,  character  and  con- 
dition. Hence  there  arises  a  necessity  for  human  learning  and 
research  in  order  to  understand  and  explain  the  contents  of 
God's  word.    To  secure  the  appropriation  of  some  portion  of 

56 


t828]  HIS    ORDINATION 

time  to  the  acquisition  of  knowledge  —  to  gather  together  the 
stores  of  history  and  philosophy,  and  apply  them  to  the  critical 
study  of  the  Bible  —  I  regard  as  an  essential  part  of  a  minis- 
ter's duty,  and  one  great  object  for  which  a  separate  ministry 
is  set  apart.  In  like  manner  do  I  think  it  obligatory  upon  him 
not  to  hide  the  light  that  is  in  him,  but  to  impart  to  his  people, 
and  more  especially  to  the  young,  the  knowledge  which  he  may 
acquire,  and  the  conclusions  to  which  his  investigations  con- 
duct him;  that  they  may  read  the  volume  of  holy  writ  with 
increased  interest  and  intelligence,  and  that  their  minds  may 
be  opened  to  enlarged  views  of  Christian  truth.  In  these  in- 
quiries and  instructions  he  requires,  and  can  receive,  no  aid 
from  the  authority  of  any  man  or  any  church.  His  most  valu- 
able guides  are  his  own  mind  and  his  own  conscience ;  and 
his  most  valuable  privilege  in  the  use  of  these  is  his  unques- 
tionable right  of  private  judgment.  Whether  he  study,  or 
whether  he  teach,  let  him  stand  fast  in  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  hath  made  him  free. 

"  Such  is  a  brief  summary  of  the  objects  which,  as  a  Chris- 
tian minister,  I  propose  to  accomplish.  I  pray  that  I  may 
pursue  them  in  the  spirit  of  charity  towards  all  men,  and 
under  a  prevailing  sense  of  accountability  to  the  great  Searcher 
of  hearts.  Full  well  do  I  know  that  I  must  review  hereafter, 
in  the  unveiled  presence  of  God,  the  ministry  on  which  I  have 
now  entered,  and  that  I  must  then  meet  those  who  surround 
me  now,  and  whose  spiritual  interests  I  bind  myself  to  serve. 
That  no  one  may  then  appear  to  reproach  me  with  unfaithful- 
ness —  that  there  may  be  no  wanderer  from  the  fold  of  Christ 
whom  my  neglect  may  have  caused  to  stray,  is  the  earnest 
and  solemn  desire  which  I  now  profess  before  God  and  my 
brethren." 

At  the  close  of  this  address  *'  the  Moderator,  the  Rev. 
Philip  Taylor,  having  consulted  the  Ministers,  declared 
their  unanimous  approbation  of  Mr.  Martineau's  senti- 
ments, and  their  readiness  to  set  him  apart  to  the  work  of 
the  Ministry  amongst  this  Christian  people,  by  prayer,  and 
the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  Presbytery."  He  then 
offered  the  ordination  prayer;  and  when  he  came  to  the 
words,  "We  devoutly  pray  that  the  choicest  influences  of  thy 
Holy  Spirit  may  descend  on  this  thy  servant,"  the  Ministers 
laid  on  their  hands.     After  the  prayer  the  Moderator,  the 

57 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [xs.s 

other  Ministers,  and  a  lay  representative  of  the  Congrega- 
tion, presented  to  Mr.  Martineau  the  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship ;  and  the  service  was  brought  to  a  close  by  a  long  and 
earnest  ''  Charge "  to  the  Rev.  James  Martineau  and  the 
congregation  of  Eustace  Street,  delivered  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
William  Hamilton  Drummond,  the  Junior  Minister  of 
Strand  Street  Meeting  House.  A  few  words  may  be  quoted, 
as  they  seem  to  strike  one  of  the  notes  of  Mr.  Martineau's 
future  life:  "Allowing  to  others  the  same  liberty  of  con- 
science which  you  claim  as  your  own  indefeasible  birth- 
right; anathematising  none  for  a  difference  of  creed,  only 
desiring  that  each  may  be  fully  persuaded  in  his  own  mind, 
.  .  .  you  will  show  that  you  know  how  to  blend  an  uncom- 
promising adherence  to  those  religious  tenets  which  you 
believe  to  be  true,  with  those  expansively  benevolent  prin- 
ciples both  of  thought  and  action,  which  become  the  disciple 
of  Christ."/ 

As  soon  as  possible  after  entering  his  house  in  Blessington 
Street,  Mr.  Martineau  started  for  Derby  to  claim  the  lady 
to  whom  he  had  been  so  faithfully  attached  for  seven  years. 
They  were  married  on  Thursday,  Dec.  i8,  1828,  and  he 
took  his  bride  home  to  the  administration  of  a  large  and 
various  household,  including  six  pupils,  of  whom  half  had 
entered  Trinity  College,  and  half  were  still  under  his  sole 
care.  The  time  which  he  could  spare  from  his  ministerial 
duties  was  thus  fully  occupied,  and  left  him  no  large  oppor- 
tunity for  pursuing  his  own  studies.  He  was  not  yet  fa- 
miliar with  German  metaphysics  or  divinity;  and  with  the 
Rationalists,  who  at  that  time  were  in  the  ascendant,  he 
had  little  sympathy.  His  sermons  were  generally  written 
under  pressure,  the  last  pages  being  finished  while  the  car 
was  waiting  for  him  at  the  door,  and  sometimes  even  in  the 
pulpit.    He  used  to  say  that  he  wrote  best  under  the  stimulus 

*  The  above  account  is  taken  from  the  "  Ordination  Service,"  printed  in 
1829. 

58 


X829]       INTEREST    IN    UNITARIANISM 

of  necessity.  Even  at  that  time  they  were  "  Martincau- 
esque,"  distinguished  by  refinement  in  thought,  taste,  and 
language,  and  remarkable  for  combining  bold  generalisa- 
tions with  delicate  analysis,  and  the  most  ardent,  fearless 
love  of  truth  with  a  warm  reverential  devotion.  The  man- 
uscript was  beautifully  written,  without  an  alteration  or 
erasure  from  beginning  to  end.^  He  himself  felt  the  pro- 
duction of  sermons  to  be  slow  and  anxious,  because  it  was 
not  at  the  command  of  mere  will,  but  largely  dependent  on 
moods  of  mind  that  could  not  be  unconditionally  forced. 
His  lofty  style  was  beyond  the  reach  of  some  of  his  audi- 
ence, and  there  used  to  be  a  tradition  in  Dublin  that  a  certain 
elderly  gentleman  declared  that,  when  he  went  to  hear 
Martineau,  it  was  necessary  to  take  a  dictionary.  Some  of 
his  figures  of  speech,  too,  were  regarded  at  that  time  as  a 
little  highflown. 

He  began  at  this  time  the  practice  of  holding  catechetical 
and  lecturing  classes  for  the  benefit  of  his  congregation.  It 
was  customary  at  Eustace  Street  to  have  a  sermon  for 
young  people  on  New  Year's  Day,  and  he  embraced  this 
opportunity  for  making  proposals  to  hold  a  class  for  reli- 
gious instruction.  The  classes  actually  began  in  March,  a 
good  number  of  children  under  fourteen  meeting  him  in 
the  vestry  for  an  hour  before  service,  and  between  forty 
and  fifty  people  of  more  mature  years  waiting  after  service 
to  hear  a  lecture  on  the  state  of  the  world  at  the  Christian 
era.  He  was  at  the  same  time  anxious  to  promote  the  gen- 
eral progress  of  Unitarianism,  and  favoured  a  principle  of 
doctrinal  union  of  which  he  afterwards  strongly  disap- 
proved. The  following  paragraph  from  a  letter  written  late 
in  life  indicates  very  clearly  the  position  which  he  then 
occupied :  — 


1  These  particulars  are  taken  from  a  letter  of  Dr.  W.  T.  Radford's,  Decem- 
ber, 1875. 

59 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [1829 

"  On  the  particular  subject  of  the  right  limits  to  the  use  of 
the  word  Unitarian  I  am  in  no  position  to  reproach  others  who 
take  your  view ;  for  in  my  early  ministry  I  myself  had  no  other 
thought,  and  under  its  influence  suggested  and  organised  in 
Dublin  the  Irish  Unitarian  Association,  with  congregational 
representation.  The  Unitarians  of  that  day,  in  England  at  all 
events,  were  moulded  by  leaders,  —  Priestley  from  the  Ortho- 
dox Dissenters,  Lindsey  from  the  Church  of  England,  —  who 
had  simply  adopted  a  new  theology,  without  moving  a  hair's 
breadth  from  their  old  assumption,  that  Christian  communion 
must  be  based  on  concurrence  in  theological  doctrine.  To  one 
imbued,  as  I  was,  with  this  notion,  the  idea  of  a  Unitarian 
Church,  far  from  being  repulsive,  was  in  a  high  degree  awak- 
ening to  zeal ;  and  I  acted  on  it  without  misgiving,  falling  in 
with  the  then  universal  assumption  that  there  could  be  only 
one  way  of  right-thinking,  —  which  was  necessarily  a  way  of 
like-thinking ;  so  that  people  in  quest  of  it  might  be  sure  they 
were  astray  if  they  allowed  any  latitude.  This  genuine  dog- 
matic principle, — the  principle  of  an  orthodoxy, — everywhere 
prevailing,  made  church  differ  from  church  just  according  as 
our  doxy  differs  from  your  doxy,  and  took  for  granted  the 
presence,  by  an  act  of  collective  thinking,  of  one  and  the  same 
doxy  among  all  the  members  of  a  single  church.  Under  such 
condition  nothing  could  be  more  proper  than  to  designate  each 
church  by  a  doctrinal  name."  ^ 

He  was  also  deeply  interested  in  politics,  and  sometimes 
offended  his  more  conservative  hearers  by  his  outspoken 
criticisms.  He  was  especially  anxious  to  secure  the  aboli- 
tion of  all  civil  disabilities  on  account  of  religious  opinions, 
and  accordingly  attended  the  great  meeting  in  favour  of 
Catholic  Emancipation  held  in  the  Rotunda  on  Jan.  22, 
1829. 

Early  in  December,  1829,  he  received  congratulations  on 
the  birth  of  a  first-born,  a  daughter.  This  child  died  in 
infancy,  bringing  the  first  sorrow  into  the  happy  home. 
Mindful  of  his  Huguenot  descent,  Mr.  Martineau  had  the 
body  interred  in  one  of  the  French  cemeteries  in  Dublin. 
Before  they  quitted  Ireland  the  husband  and  wife  stood 

1  Quoted  from  a  letter  to  the  Rev.  V.  D.  Davis,  Dec.  22,  1891. 

60 


1828-1832]  DUBLIN    LIFE 

together  in  silence  beside  the  little  grave.  Long  years  after- 
wards a  venerable  man  of  eighty-seven  stole  away  from  the 
bustle  attending  the  Tercentenary  of  Dublin  University, 
and  stood  once  more  beside  the  quiet  grave,  not  now  sup- 
ported by  the  faithful  wife,  who  long  before  had  joined  this 
first  pledge  of  their  love,  but  by  a  devoted  daughter  who 
watched  over  his  declining  days.  Two  other  children  were 
born  to  him  in  Dublin,  Russell  and  Isabella,  the  former 
named  in  honour  of  the  statesman  who  was  so  closely  con- 
nected with  the  Reform  Bill. 

We  may  now  turn  to  Dr.  Martineau's  own  recollections 
of  his  Dublin  life :  — 

"  I  had  been  already  ordained  by  the  Dublin  Presbytery  of 
the  Synod  of  Munster,  and  in  exercise  of  my  pastoral  func- 
tions for  six  months.  These  were  less  arduous  than  I  could 
wish ;  the  congregation  being  very  small,  and  assembling 
only  once  each  Sunday,  and  in  every  way  disposed  to  give 
both  themselves  and  their  ministers  an  easy  life  of  it.  In  all 
social  relations  we  met  with  nothing  but  the  most  gracious 
and  effusive  kindness,  which  set  us  entirely  at  ease  and  espe- 
cially won  the  heart  of  my  wife,  and  still  charmed  her  when 
she  had  learned  to  allow  a  little  for  national  manners.  Nor 
did  my  efforts  to  organise  classes  for  systematic  religious  in- 
struction of  the  young  fail  of  a  fair  response.  But  the  first 
approach  towards  questions  of  religious  politics  or  doctrinal 
theology  revealed  to  me  the  highly  charged  and  sensitive  at- 
mosphere around.  A  sermon,  mildly  criticising  the  Arian 
doctrine,  lost  me  the  first,  and,  as  I  thought,  the  fastest  friend 
I  had  in  the  congregation.  He  withdrew  with  his  family  to 
another  place  of  worship,  and  wrote  an  agonised  letter  of 
adieu,  such  as  a  fallen  Lucifer  might  have  received  from  his 
most  intimate  angel.  A  signature  which,  with  my  venerated 
colleague,  I  had  attached  to  a  petition  for  Catholic  Emancipa- 
tion, brought  down  an  explosion  of  wrath  from  a  blustering 
but  not  very  lucid  gentleman,  who  '  had  been  credibly  in- 
formed that  ministers  should  not  meddle  with  politics,'  but 
who,  nevertheless,  thought  it  our  duty  to  sign  on  the  other 
side.  Indeed,  the  anti-Catholic  feeling  evinced  by  the  prin- 
cipal people  in  the  society  startled  and  shocked  me  beyond 
measure.    In  an  endowed  school  connected  with  the  Meeting 

6i 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN      [1828-1832 

House,  some  forty  orphans  were  lodged,  educated,  and  quali- 
fied for  apprenticeship;  the  vacancies  being  filled  up  by  elec- 
tion in  open  vestry.  The  children,  it  was  well  known,  were 
brought  up  as  Protestants.  At  one  of  the  elections  a  boy 
of  very  winning  appearance,  brought  by  a  well-mannered 
father  (the  mother  was  dead),  excited  a  prevailing  interest  in 
the  members  present ;  but  it  was  suggested  that  no  inquiry 
had  been  made  respecting  the  parents'  religion.  The  man  was 
recalled  and  questioned.  The  mother  had  been  a  Protestant. 
'  And  you  ? '  said  the  chairman.  '  I  'II  not  be  desaiving  your 
honour,'  replied  the  father ;  '  the  boy  may  follow  his  mother's 
road ;  but  I  'm  bound  to  be  a  Catholic'  '  Begone  then  this 
minute,'  exclaimed  the  chairman,  with  a  loud  stamp  of  his 
foot  upon  the  floor ;  '  how  dare  you  show  your  face  here  ? 
We  have  nothing  to  do  with  you  and  yours.'  On  my  trying 
remonstrance,  when  the  vestry  resumed,  he  lifted  his  specta- 
cles and  looked  at  me  transfixed,  as  a  naturalist  would  look 
at  a  live  Dodo ;  and  though  there  were  signs  of  some  response 
to  my  protest,  he  had  the  meeting  with  him  in  treating  it  as 
an  eccentricity  and  passing  on  to  the  '  qualified  candidates.' 
Yet  this  chairman,  apart  from  his  Toryism  and  Protestantism, 
was  a  most  estimable  gentleman ;  of  much  benevolence  and 
high  honour;  courteous  and  considerate,  and  in  great  social 
request  for  positions  of  trust  and  influence.  This  vestry  inci- 
dent, however,  cracked  the  ice  of  a  prejudice  which,  by  re- 
peated blows,  was  gradually  and  completely  broken  up ;  and, 
even  before  my  return  to  England,  a  totally  different  temper 
already  prevailed. 

"  The  period  of  my  residence  in  Dublin  coincided  with  the 
flood  of  O'Connell's  agitation,  and  [  ?  under]  the  Lord  Lieu- 
tenancies of  the  Marquis  of  Anglesea  and  the  Duke  of  North- 
umberland party  passion  ran  dangerously  high.  It  was  a 
curious  experience  to  pass  from  the  society  of  the  very  deco- 
rous, loyal,  semi-Orange  gentlemen  of  whom  I  have  given  a 
sample,  to  that  of  the  old  patriot  and  rebel,  Hamilton  Rowan 
and  his  heroic  wife,  at  whose  house  the  conversation,  when  it 
turned  upon  politics,  recalled  the  brilliancy  and  audacity  of 
the  Paris  Salons  in  '89.  The  old  man  himself,  not  otherwise 
particularly  impressive,  had  the  eyes  of  a  tiger ;  and  when  he 
was  in  the  mood  to  tell  the  story  of  his  adventures,  they  seemed 
to  kindle  and  perforate  you  like  burning-glasses.  His  force 
was  not  intellectual,  but  of  passion  and  will,  and  he  was  less 
at  home  when  the  presence  of  Lady  Morgan  and  Lover,  who 
were  frequent  guests  at  his  table,  directed  the  conversation 

62 


1830-I83I]       "PEACE    IN    DIVISION" 

upon  literature,  society,  and  art.  Neither  the  bhnd  conserva- 
tism nor  the  ideal  radicalism  of  the  Irish  parties  attracted  me, 
and  I  remained  an  outside  observer  of  their  struggle.  It  was 
impossible  to  follow  O'Connell  from  audience  to  audience 
without  acknowledging  that,  in  versatility  of  persuasion  and 
freedom  of  range,  oratory  can  go  no  further,  and  without 
crediting  each  address,  as  it  proceeds,  with  sincerity.  But  it 
was  fatal  to  compare  them,  and  the  man,  when  apprehended 
as  a  whole,  became  a  great  artist,  really  sympathising  with 
each  part  as  he  played  it,  but  ready  to  exchange  it  for  another, 
if  needful  for  some  unavowed  end  foreign  to  both."  ^ 

In  1830  Mr.  Martineau  preached,  at  the  anniversary  of 
the  Synod  of  Munster,  which  met  at  Cork  on  the  7th 
of  July,  a  sermon  entitled  "Peace  in  Division:  the  Duties  of 
Christians  in  an  Age  of  Controversy."  ^  This  excellent  ser- 
mon does  not  bear  out  the  charge  of  magniloquence  of  style. 
It  is  perfectly  clear  and  simple,  and  not  marked  by  great 
originality  of  thought.  It  points  out  that  it  is  the  duty  of 
Christians  to  remember  how  many  are  their  points  of  union, 
all  denominations  appealing  to  the  afifections  in  the  universal 
language  of  the  human  heart.  We  must  remember,  too, 
the  moral  innocence  of  mental  error,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  "  that  faith  is  a  compound  result  of  the  will  and  the 
understanding."  And  further,  "  it  is  the  duty  of  every 
Christian  in  an  age  of  controversy  to  make  an  open,  undis- 
guised statement  of  his  opinions,  and  of  the  evidence  wdiich 
satisfies  him  of  their  truth."  "  The  grand  secret  of  human 
power  ...  is  singleness  of  purpose,"  and  it  is  the  want 
of  this,  and  not  of  an  ample  sphere,  or  poverty  of  means,  or 
mediocrity  of  talent,  that  makes  most  men  so  inefficient  in 
the  world. 

During  his  residence  in  Dublin,  Mr.  Martineau  compiled, 
for  the  use  and  by  the  desire  of  his  congregation,  "  A  Col- 
lection of  Hymns  for  Christian  Worship."     The  volume, 

1  Bi.  Mem. 

2  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity,"  1858,  compiled  by  the  Rev.  W.  R. 
Alger,  of  Boston,  U.  S. 

63 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [1831 

which  is  anonymous,  was  framed  on  the  basis  of  the  old 
Eustace  Street  collection.  The  preface,  which  is  dated 
Oct.  I,  1 83 1,  defends  the  practice  of  altering  hymns  which 
contain  passages  "  objectionable  on  the  ground  either  of 
theology  or  of  taste,"  and  assumes  "  the  propriety  of 
bringing  all  the  resources  of  lyric  poetry  (the  poetry  of  the 
affections)  into  the  service  of  religion."  Accordingly  his 
Unitarianism  did  not  lead  to  "  any  fastidious  rejection  of 
the  form  of  address  to  our  Lord  " ;  for  there  seemed  to  be 
*'  no  difficulty  in  distinguishing  between  religious  homage 
and  poetical  invocation."  Thus  early  he  interested  himself 
in  improving  the  hymnody  of  the  congregations  with  which 
he  was  connected ;  and  it  is  perhaps  worth  noticing  that  of 
the  two  hundred  and  seventy-three  hymns  which  this  book 
contains  more  than  two  hundred  (some  of  them  with  con- 
siderable alterations)  are  included  in  the  later  "  Hymns  for 
the  Christian  Church  and  Home." 

The  Rev.  Philip  Taylor  died  on  the  27th  of  September, 
183 1,  and  this  event  led  indirectly  to  Mr,  Martineau's  resig- 
nation. Before  the  disestablishment  of  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church  in  Ireland,  a  portion  of  the  stipend  of 
Presbyterian  ministers  was  derived  from  an  annual  grant  of 
public  money,  known  as  Regium  Donum.  On  the  death 
of  Mr.  Taylor,  Mr.  Martineau  became  his  successor,  and 
thereby  entitled  to  receive  this  grant.  The  questions  in- 
volved in  the  relations  between  the  Presbyterians  and  the 
State  had  not  pressed  themselves  on  his  attention  before  he 
accepted  ministerial  duty  in  Ireland;  but  during  his  resi- 
dence in  Dublin  the  gross  injustice  involved  in  the  relative 
position  of  the  Catholic  Church  and  the  two  chief  Protes- 
tant bodies  had  become  so  oppressive  to  him  that  the  very 
idea  of  being  personally  participant  in  it  affected  him  with 
shame.  Yet  to  refuse  the  Regium  Donum  would  compro- 
mise the  rights  of  his  congregation,  and  this  he  did  not  feel 
entitled  to  do  without  their  consent.     Accordingly,  after 

64 


I83I]  REGIUM    DONUM 

serious  thought,  he  determined  to  lay  the  case  fully  before 
his  friends,  and,  if  he  failed  to  win  them  over  to  his  own 
judgment,  to  tender  his  resignation.  He  addressed  them 
in  a  letter,  which  was  afterwards  printed,  and  contains  a 
statement  of  the  reasons  that  governed  his  action.  He 
begins  by  pointing  out  that  the  death  of  Mr.  Taylor  placed 
him  in  a  new  relation  to  the  State,  which  seemed  to  him 
seriously  objectionable,  and  which,  after  long  and  earnest 
deliberation,  he  found  it  impossible  to  hold.  His  reasons, 
briefly  summarised,  were  the  following :  — 

(i)  The  Royal  Bounty  was  a  religious  monopoly,  an 
exclusive  appropriation  of  a  fund  which  ought  to  have  been 
general.  "  The  nation  at  large  contributes,  Presbyterians 
alone  receive."  (2)  It  exposed  the  ministerial  office  to  all 
the  objections  of  a  sinecure,  because  the  ministers  gave  their 
labour  to  one  party,  —  their  congregations,  while  their 
remuneration  came  from  another,  —  the  State ;  and  thus 
they  received  remuneration  without  duty  performed  to 
the  remunerators.  (3)  All  remuneration  of  a  clergy  by 
the  State  seemed  to  him  to  check  the  circulation,  and 
impede  the  progress,  of  religious  opinion.  "  That  the  aver- 
age tendency  of  funds  placed  at  the  disposal,  direct  or  in- 
direct, of  ecclesiastical  bodies,  is  to  produce  subserviency 
to  their  leading  faction,  is  a  truth  which  may  rest  on  an 
appeal  to  the  whole  history  of  establishments."  (4)  The 
credit  and  influence  of  Christianity  were  much  diminished 
by  its  alliance  with  the  State ;  for  "  as  it  is  generally  known 
that  there  exists  a  personal  interest  in  religious  profession, 
a  widespread  distrust  in  the  sincerity  of  all  belief  is  pro- 
duced." These  reasons  satisfied  him  that  the  principle  of 
the  Royal  Bounty  was  wrong;  and  if  the  principle  was 
wrong,  the  practice  could  not  be  right.  But  he  made  no 
reflection  on  his  brethren  in  the  ministry  who  did  not  share 
his  opinions ;  the  only  wrong  was  "  in  thinking  in  one  way 
and  acting  in  another."  He  felt  that  he  had  no  right  to 
5  65 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [1831 

decide  for  his  successors  as  well  as  for  himself.  "  I  there- 
fore determined,"  he  says,  "  to  put  the  great  question  of 
establishments  on  its  trial  before  you;  to  make  you  its 
tribunal,  and  ask  you  to  pronounce  on  it  a  practical  and 
emphatic  decision.  That  there  may  be  no  doubt  or  ambi- 
guity on  a  question  so  momentous,  I  state  then  in  plain 
terms,  that  I  cannot  receive  the  Royal  Bounty;  that  I  ask 
only  for  your  acquiescence  in  my  unconditional  refusal  of 
it;  and  that,  if  you  feel  it  necessary  to  withhold  your  con- 
sent, I  will  promptly  relieve  you  of  all  embarrassment,  by 
resigning  a  situation  with  the  conditions  of  which  I  am  no 
longer  able  to  comply,"  He  had  carefully  abstained  from 
even  the  natural  expression  of  his  own  feelings,  because  he 
wished  not  to  influence  their  decision  by  appealing  to  any- 
thing but  their  own  conscientious  judgment,  and  he  desired 
the  person  to  be  utterly  sunk  in  the  principle.  He  concluded 
with  these  words :  "  Suffer  me  to  remind  you  how  deeply 
your  deliberation  concerns  the  state  and  character  of  our 
little  society,  and  the  far  more  momentous  and  enduring 
interests  of  our  blessed  faith.  I  commend  you  solemnly 
to  the  guidance  of  your  consciences  and  the  blessing  of  the 
Great  Father  of  Lights.  Need  I  assure  you  that  I  am 
your  affectionate  and  faithful  friend  and  pastor,  James 
Martineau." 

He  read  this  letter  to  his  congregation  on  the  30th  of 
October.  No  decision  was  reached,  and  finally  the  consid- 
eration of  the  subject  was  adjourned  for  a  fortnight.  The 
symptoms,  however,  were  unfavourable,  and  the  household 
in  Blessington  Street  were  filled  with  not  unreasonable 
apprehensions.  Whatever  view  may  be  taken  of  the  con- 
victions which  guided  his  judgment,  the  event  proved  that 
he  was  ready  to  encounter  grave  risks,  and  make  painful 
sacrifices,  for  conscience'  sake.  If  he  were  forced  to  resign, 
he  would  have  to  break  up  his  establishment  of  College 
students,  to  perfect  which  he  had  expended  large  sums  upon 

66 


I83I]  REGIUM    DONUM 

his  house;  and  he  would  be  compelled  to  sell  the  house  in 
a  fallen  market,  and  ask  indulgence  of  time  from  the  friend 
who  had  enabled  him  to  make  the  purchase.  He  would, 
moreover,  be  disqualified  for  settling  elsewhere  among  the 
Irish  Presbyterians,  and  through  his  residence  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Channel  he  was  comparatively  unknown  in 
England.  Mrs.  Martineau  thus  expressed  her  feelings  in 
a  letter  to  her  sister :  "  There  is  hardly  an  hour,  not  a 
day  I  am  sure,  but  I  look  round  this  dear  house  and  linger 
on  this  thing  and  that  with  a  feeling  of  deeper  tenderness 
from  the  tenure  on  which  alone  we  can  now  hold  them. 
But  the  principle  keeps  us  up,  and  he  shall  never  hear  a  word 
of  regret  from  me  over  things  that  are  consequent  on  an  act 
of  duty.  What  may  be  before  us  God  only  knows,  and  we 
are  very  thankful  for  the  unanxious  trust  with  which  we 
are  able  to  view  the  future."  Friends  in  England  felt  a 
warm  interest  in  the  case,  and  Mr.  Martineau  received 
expressions  of  hearty  sympathy  and  approval,  especially 
from  his  mother  and  his  brother  Henry.  He  had  the  sup- 
port also  of  his  sister  Harriet,  who  was  then  on  a  visit  to 
Dublin.  The  younger  members  of  the  congregation  were 
believed  to  be  favourable  to  his  views.  People  of  discern- 
ment perceived  that  he  was  not  a  man  to  be  lightly  let 
go;  so,  though  the  most  influential  men  were  adverse  to 
change,  the  issue  of  the  discussion  might  still  be  considered 
doubtful. 

On  November  13  the  decisive  meeting  was  held.  Mr. 
Martineau,  it  must  be  observed,  had  not  tendered  his  resig- 
nation, but  only  expressed  his  willingness  to  do  so  if  the 
congregation  failed  to  support  him  on  the  question  of  the 
Regium  Donum.  His  letter,  however,  was  not  so  under- 
stood, and  it  was  moved  that  Mr.  Martineau's  resignation 
be  accepted.  An  amendment  was  proposed,  that  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau shall  act  in  regard  to  the  Royal  Bounty  according  to 
the  dictates  of  his  conscience,  and  that  the  congregation  do 

^7 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [1831 

not  require  his  resignation.  The  resolution  was  carried 
by  the  chairman's  casting  vote,  and  was  actually  declared 
by  him  to  mean  that  the  young  pastor's  ministry  had  thereby 
come  to  an  end,  and  he  was  to  preach  no  more.  On  the 
following  Sunday  he  sat,  as  an  ordinary  member  of  the  con- 
gregation, in  his  pew.  This  action  of  such  a  bare  majority 
seems  unaccountably  hasty  and  unkind,  and  he  must  have 
felt  it  keenly ;  but  at  a  later  time  he  writes :  "  This  harsh 
termination  of  my  first  pastoral  engagement  I  soon  forgot 
in  the  compensating  affection  and  generosity  of  the  large 
minority,  and  of  a  numerous  body  that  watched  the  struggle 
of  principle  with  sympathetic  interest  from  the  outside."  ^ 
Among  others,  Mr.  Hutton's  sons  warmly  took  his  side, 
and  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hutton  wrote  him  a  letter  of  heartfelt 
approval,  and  expressed  his  confidence  that  the  act  of  protest 
and  abnegation  would  bear  good  fruit.  Mr.  Hutton  himself 
was  deeply  concerned,  and  responded  suitably  to  his  affec- 
tionate letter  of  adieu;  yet,  strangely  enough,  he  defended 
the  construction  put  upon  the  resolution  of  the  congregation, 
and,  mentioning  that  his  own  sons  were  moving  for  a  Vestry 
meeting  to  beg  for  a  continuation  of  Mr.  Martineau's  ser- 
vices till  a  successor  was  chosen,  entreated  him  to  stop  them 
by  refusal  in  advance.  However,  kinder  and  wiser  counsels 
prevailed,  and  on  the  12th  of  December  he  received  an 
address  unanimously  passed  by  a  congregational  meeting 
on  the  previous  day,  expressive  of  respect  and  appreciation, 
acknowledging  his  past  services,  and  asking  him  to  continue 
them,  as  co-adjutor  to  Mr.  Hutton  till  June,  1832.  This 
invitation  was  accepted. 

It  was  necessary  to  seek  for  a  new  appointment.  Imme- 
diately after  the  adverse  vote  at  Eustace  Street  he  was 
sounded  as  to  his  willingness  to  establish  an  independent 
congregation ;  and  an  effort,  supported  by  Dr.  Drummond, 

>•  Bi.  Mem. 

68 


i83a]       INVITATION    TO    LIVERPOOL 

Mr.  Classon,  and  others,  was  actually  made,  apparently 
without  his  knowledge  or  approval,  to  raise  the  necessary 
means.  But  he  felt  that  the  first  elements  of  such  a  society 
would  have  to  be  drawn  from  the  church  which  he  was 
leaving,  and  he  declined  to  impair  the  unity  and  practical 
efficiency  of  congregations  which  had  the  prestige  of  a  ven- 
erable history.  Mr.  W.  J.  Fox,  who  had  visited  him  in 
Dublin,  and  christened  his  eldest  son,  privately  offered  to 
commit  to  his  hands,  with  a  salary  of  £300,  the  organisation 
and  conduct  of  the  Domestic  Mission  in  London,  then  pro- 
jected though  not  begun.  But,  to  use  his  own  words,  he 
"  was  conscious  of  no  adequate  store  of  resource  and  hope- 
fulness for  such  a  work."  The  prospect  of  a  position  better 
suited  to  his  peculiar  powers  soon  opened  before  him.  Early 
in  December  Mr.  F.  Fletcher,  of  Liverpool,  wrote  to  him, 
stating  that  a  colleague  was  wanted  for  the  Rev.  John 
Grundy,  minister  of  the  congregation  of  Protestant  Dissen- 
ters meeting  in  Paradise  Street  Chapel,  and  suggesting 
that  he  should  put  himself  in  the  way  of  being  heard.  He 
declined  to  take  the  initiative,  but  expressed  his  willingness 
to  preach.  Before  the  end  of  the  month,  and  again  in  Jan- 
uary, he  preached  in  Liverpool,  where  he  was  received  with 
great  kindness.  A  letter  from  Mr.  T.  Harvey,  dated  Feb. 
7,  1832,  conveyed  to  him  the  unanimous  invitation  of 
the  Paradise  Street  congregation,  together  with  a  concur- 
rent letter  of  the  Rev.  John  Grundy,  to  become  a  colleague 
of  the  latter,  as  a  pastor  responsible  for  the  duties  of  the 
church.  Mr.  Martineau  acknowledged  this  letter  in  the 
following  terms :  — 

My  respected  Fellow-Christians,  —  I  acknowledge  with 
sincere  gratitude  the  expression  of  regard  conveyed  to  me  in 
your  recent  communication. 

With  a  solemn  desire  to  obtain  by  Christian  fidelity  to  you 
the  approval  of  a  higher  and  more  searching  Tribunal,  I  ac- 
cept the  co-pastoral  office  which  you  have  requested  me  to 
fill.     Should  our  connection  prove  to  be  "  profitable  to  you  " 

69 


BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN  [1832 

and  honourable  to  the  Gospel,  to  me  it  will  be  the  source  of 
pure  and  lasting  satisfaction. 

Believe  me  to  be  yours  sincerely  and  faithfully, 

James  Martineau. 

On  the  receipt  of  this  answer,  the  congregation  at  once 
expressed  their  satisfaction  by  raising  the  joint  salaries  to 
£400,  to  be  equally  divided  between  the  colleagues. 

In  the  summer  of  1832  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martineau  vacated 
their  first  home,  paid  a  round  of  farewell  visits  to  the  friends 
who  had  brightened  it  by  their  affection,  and  crossed  the  sea, 
with  a  son  and  daughter,  to  enter  upon  their  second  and 
longest  term  of  unbroken  service.  After  their  arrival  in 
Liverpool  Mr.  R,  Hutton  was  commissioned  to  convey  to 
them  a  roll  of  parchment  containing  an  address  from 
the  congregation  at  Eustace  Street,  and  a  present  of  180 
guineas.  Their  own  warm  hearts  retained  a  kindly  recollec- 
tion of  their  Irish  home,  and  were  cheered  by  the  fact  that 
its  associations  were  not  wholly  severed.  "  One  precious 
link  there  was,"  says  Dr.  Martineau  in  his  Memoranda, 
"  which  prevented  the  breach  with  Dublin  life  from  being 
absolute.  The  dear  friend,  with  her  two  sons,  who  had 
passed  with  us  from  Bristol  to  Dublin,  now  took  a  house 
near  us  in  Liverpool;  her  younger  son  entering  a  solicitor's 
office  for  his  legal  training ;  and  the  elder  prosecuting  those 
scientific  and  literary  studies  which  have  made  him  one  of 
the  most  accomplished  of  living  men.  In  spite  of  great 
losses  by  removal,  I  managed  before  long  to  discharge  my 
debt  to  her,  and  with  it  the  last  lingering  anxiety  of  the 
Dublin  crisis." 


70 


Chapter  IV 
PARADISE    STREET,  1 832-1 848 

On  their  arrival  in  Liverpool  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martineau 
settled  in  a  house  of  moderate  size  in  Mount  Street  (No.  3). 
With  reduced  income,  and  the  burden  of  a  debt  pressing 
upon  him,  he  was  unwilling  to  incur  the  risk  of  taking  a 
large  house  dependent  for  its  maintenance  on  resident  pupils. 
It  was  necessary,  however,  to  supplement  his  inadequate 
stipend,  and  this  he  succeeded  in  doing  by  courses  of  tuition 
which  were  acceptable  to  his  friends  and  congenial  to  his 
own  tastes. 

"  I  proposed,"  he  says,  "  to  give  private  lessons  to  young 
persons  past  the  school  age  and  needing  guidance  in  their 
ulterior  self-culture.  The  proposal  seemed  to  meet  a  real 
want ;  the  numbers  in  my  classes  were  adequate  and  steady, 
and  while  they  relieved  me  from  anxiety,  I  found  in  them  a 
delightful  source  of  intellectual  sympathy  with  a  succession 
of  thoughtful  young  persons,  and  a  salutary  incentive  for  my- 
self to  preserve  my  mental  stores  from  rusting  and  enlarge 
them  by  fresh  accessions.  And  the  relation  between  teacher 
and  taught,  in  matters  apart  from  theology,  far  fropi  clashing 
with  pastoral  duty,  so  harmonises  with  it  as  to  be  its  best  sup- 
port. Occasionally  I  was  tempted  still  further  from  the  field 
of  professional  action.  The  Liverpool  Mechanics'  Institution 
being  in  need  of  voluntary  help,  I  undertook,  with  more  cour- 
age than  prudence,  to  deliver  a  course  of  Public  Lectures  on 
Experimental  Chemistry,  and  soon  after  another,  on  Physical 
Astronomy.  They  led  to  the  formation  of  classes  for  mutual 
instruction,  some  of  whose  members  attained  distinction  as 
men  of  science  and  inventors.  Other  claims  upon  my  time, 
however,  soon  compelled  me  to  withdraw  from  this  kind  of 
work.    In  consequence  of  some  papers  written  for  Mr.  Fox's 

'71 


PARADISE    STREET  [1832-1848 

*  Monthly  Repository,'  I  was  asked,  on  the  establishment  of 
the  '  London  Review,'  ^  to  enroll  myself  on  its  literary  staff ; 
and  thus  was  commenced  a  habit  of  Review  writing,  which, 
when  kept  in  due  subordination,  I  have  found  conducive  to 
vigilance  and  exactitude  in  study,  and  which  best  disposed  of 
all  spare  time."  - 

The  Chapel  in  Paradise  Street  was  in  the  plain  style 
adopted  by  the  older  Nonconformity,  and,  like  the  Chajjel 
at  Norwich,  was  in  the  form  of  an  octagon.  Here  Mr. 
Martineaii  exercised  his  ministry  for  sixteen  years,  and 
laboured  for  the  good  of  his  congregation  with  all  the  zeal 
of  his  ardent  nature.  His  powers  were  soon  recognised 
both  by  those  who  were  ready  to  welcome  new  ideas  and 
those  who  resented  his  inroads  upon  ancient  thought;  and, 
like  other  powerful  and  original  men,  he  not  only  attracted 
enthusiastic  friendship  but  also  excited  keen  animosity. 
The  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed  thus  describes  the  impression 
which  he  made  upon  his  hearers :  "  Well  does  the  writer 
remember  (1877),  though  it  is  forty-five  years  ago,  how 
the  circular  staircase  of  the  somewhat  conspicuous  pulpit 
was  quietly  ascended  by  a  tall  young  man,  thin,  but  of  vig- 
orous and  muscular  frame,  with  dark  hair,  pale  but  not  deli- 
cate complexion,  a  countenance  full  in  repose  of  thought, 
and  in  animation  of  intelligence  and  enthusiasm,  features  be- 
longing to  no  regular  type  or  order  of  beauty,  and  yet  leav- 
ing the  impression  of  a  very  high  kind  of  beauty,  and  a  voice 
so  sweet,  and  clear,  and  strong,  without  being  in  the  least 
degree  loud,  that  it  conveyed  all  the  inspiration  of  music 
without  any  of  its  art  or  intention.  When  this  young  man, 
with  the  background  of  his  honour  and  courage,  rose  to 
speak  of  the  inspiration  that  was  not  in  the  letter  but  in  the 
soul,  and  (for  that  time  of  day)  boldly  distinguished  be- 
tween the  inspiration  of  Old  Testament  books  and   Old 


1  Founded  in  1835. 

2  Bi.  Mem. 


72 


I832-I848]         LIFE    IN    LIVERPOOL 

Testament  heroes,  he  completed  the  conquest  of  his 
hearers."  ^ 

In  order  to  exhibit  him  in  another  aspect,  the  following 
description  may  be  quoted,  though  it  belongs  to  a  time  some 
years  later.  The  occasion  is  a  school  excursion  to  Hoylake, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Dee.  "  We  had  a  steamer  lent  to  us, 
and  although  it  was  rather  a  strong  wind  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Martineau  with  five  of  their  children  and  a  good  many  of 
the  other  children,  managed  to  keep  up  country  dances, 
and  Sir  Roger  de  Coverly  till  we  arrived  at  our  destination. 
.  .  .  We  found  Mr.  Martineau,  with  many  other  gentle- 
men, playing  at  football,  and  it  was  delightful  to  see  with 
what  energy  he  kicked  the  ball,  as  if  all  the  concentrated 
energy  of  his  body  were  brought  out  in  every  blow.  It  was 
quite  a  sight  to  see  him,  with  his  coat  and  hat  off,  and  his 
hair  flying  wild,  dashing  about  in  all  directions,  as  lightly 
and  nimbly  as  if  he  had  been  a  boy.  I  am  sure  you  would 
have  admired  him  then,  almost  as  much  as  in  his  calmer 
moments,  for  you  would  have  known  then,  that  whatever 
he  does  is  in  earnest."  ^ 

The  impression  which  he  left  upon  the  mind  of  the  young 
son  of  his  colleague  is  also  worth  recording:  "The  Rev. 
James  Martineau  was  not  handsome,  but  what  a  splendid 
fellow  he  was!  Benevolently  ugly,  if  ugly  at  all,  with  his 
rough-cut  features,  wild  upstanding  black  hair,  low  broad 
forehead,  and  swarthy  complexion.  I  loved  that  man;  I 
studied  with  him  for  a  year  or  two,  and  whatever  of  good 
is  in  me  I  date  to  that  time,  and  for  it  honour  him.  He 
taught  me  to  think ;  I  followed  his  flowing  periods,  flowery 
eloquence,  and  close  reasoning  with  an  appreciation,  vener- 
ation, and  attention  I  never  have  felt  for  man  since ;  for  he 
fascinated  my  expanding  intellect,  because  he  had  not  only 


1  "  National  Portrait  Gallery,"  Part  78,  p.  139  sq.,  published  by  Cassell,  Petter 
&  Galpin. 

*  From  a  letter  of  July  10,  1844. 

73 


PARADISE    STREET  [1832-1848 

a  great  brain,  but  a  great  heart.  I  have  lived  a  useless  life- 
time since  then,  but  at  least  I  have  never  forgotten  that 
prince  among  men."  ^ 

How  anyone  could  regard  him  as  even  benevolently  ugly 
it  is  hard  to  understand.  We  must  not  indeed  judge  of  his 
appearance  altogether  from  an  early  portrait,  which,  while 
unmistakably  like,  and  conveying  an  impression  of  his 
genius,  has  certainly  received  some  conventional  touches 
which  make  the  face  remarkably  handsome ;  but  the  nobility 
and  power  of  his  expression  attracted  the  gaze,  and  made 
faces  technically  more  beautiful  look  commonplace  by  com- 
parison. His  height  was  five  feet  ten  inches ;  his  figure  was 
erect  and  spare,  allowing  him  to  retain  his  buoyant  activity 
till  he  was  far  advanced  in  years;  the  massive  head  was 
habitually  bent  a  little  forward,  as  though  in  the  act  of 
meditation ;  the  lower  part  of  the  face  was  rather  long  and 
narrow;  over  the  grey  eyes  the  brows  were  more  than 
usually  prominent,  and  frequently  contracted  in  thought, 
and  over  all  was  a  cloud  of  dark  and  rather  wavy  hair,  of 
which  a  thick  mass  sometimes  fell  carelessly  over  his  fore- 
head. His  voice  was  singularly  melodious,  and  full  of 
expression;  and  when  it  was  exerted  in  the  delivery  of  a 
speech,  especially  on  some  spiritual  subject,  his  countenance 
became  radiant,  as  though  a  beam  of  light  had  fallen  upon 
it.  In  his  bearing  he  had  that  gracious  courtesy  which  we 
associate  with  an  older  generation;  and  on  solemn  occa- 
sions there  was  an  impressive  dignity  in  his  movements, 
which,  being  wholly  unaffected,  betokened  his  deep  and  sen- 
sitive reverence.  Though  rather  shy  and  reserved,  he  ex- 
pressed his  opinions  with  promptness  and  decision,  holding 
them  with  an  ardour  of  conviction  which  sometimes  ap- 


1  "  Pictures  of  the  Past :  Memories  of  Men  I  have  met  and  Places  I  have 
seen,"  by  Francis  H.  Grundy,  C.E.,  1879,  p.  45  sq.  The  recollections  refer  to 
the  time  which  we  have  now  reached.  My  attention  was  called  to  this  passage 
by  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Odgers.  —  J.  D. 

74 


I832-I848]         LIFE    IN    LIVERPOOL 

peared  not  to  accord  with  the  cautious  judgment  and  pure 
love  of  truth  under  the  influence  of  which  they  were  formed. 
There  is  a  tradition  that  once  at  College  he  was  eagerly 
defending  the  necessarian  hypothesis,  when  one  of  his 
fellow-students  remarked,  '*  Well,  Martineau,  I  quite  agree 
with  you;  but  I  would  not  be  so  positive  about  it."  But 
positive  as  he  was  he  soared  to  higher  regions,  and  while 
the  horizon  of  truth  widened  to  his  view  he  still  trusted  the 
expanding  vision,  resting  assured  that  what  he  saw  was 
real,  though  a  realm  of  mystery  stretched  far  beyond  his 
reach.  It  was  during  this  period  that  the  greatest  change 
in  his  philosophical  and  religious  thought  took  place.  This 
was  partly  due  to  the  writings  of  Dr.  Channing,  by  which 
he  was  deeply  influenced,  partly  to  his  own  growing  spir- 
itual experience,  which  seemed  to  escape  the  limits  of  the 
old  interpretation.  But  the  history  of  his  philosophical 
changes  must  be  reserved  for  another  chapter;  his  general 
theological  position  will  be  indicated  as  we  proceed. 

During  the  next  few  years  he  worked  as  only  a  strong 
man  could  without  serious  injury  to  his  health.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  report  of  his  various  occupations  in  the  early 
jDart  of  1833:  "  (a)  7  a.m.  Young  men's  private  class 
twice  a  week;  (b)  engagements  with  seven  other  classes 
three  days  of  the  week  from  11  a.  m.  to  4.30  P.  m.,  except 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  for  dinner  at  1.30;  (c)  two 
Sunday  classes;  (d)  writing  Priestley  Papers;  (e)  prep- 
aration for  chemical  lectures  at  Mechanics'  Institution; 
evening  visiting  two  or  three  times  in  the  week;  Friday 
evening  being  always  reserved  for  Sunday  preparation." 
His  Sunday  labours  were  not  always  confined  to  his  own 
Chapel;  for  we  hear  of  his  giving  lectures  at  Renshaw 
Street  on  Church  Establishments  and  National  Education, 
in  addition  to  his  morning  theological  lecture  in  his  own 
vestry.  A  list  of  his  Sunday  engagements  when  at  their 
fullest  will  make  manifest  his  zeal  for  the  religious  welfare 

75 


PARADISE    STREET  [1832-1848 

of  his  people:  Lecture  at  10  a.  m.  ;  service  at  11;  after 
this  a  class  for  about  thirty-five  young  catechumens;  then 
a  hasty  dinner  at  home  at  2.30;  a  senior  class  of  girls  at 
the  Chapel  at  4  p.  m.,  followed  by  one  of  boys,  together 
numbering  above  thirty;  tea  in  the  committee-room,  and 
lastly  evening  service  at  6.30.  But  the  opportunities 
afforded  by  Sunday  did  not  appear  to  him  sufficient. 
Early  in  1836  he  opened  a  Tuesday  evening  meeting  at 
the  Paradise  Street  Lecture  Room  with  members  of  his 
congregation  who  chose  to  come,  for  the  consideration  of 
any  moral  or  religious  topics  more  fitted  for  colloquial  than 
pulpit  treatment.  That  this  arrangement  was  eagerly  wel- 
comed we  may  infer  from  the  statement  that  the  first  meet- 
ing was  crowded.  In  addition  to  this  meeting  he  had  an 
open  house  for  young  people  of  the  congregation  on  one 
Thursday  evening  in  the  month.  We  have  already  heard 
of  his  lectures  on  chemistry  and  astronomy  at  the  Mechanics' 
Institution;  but  as  though  these,  with  his  private  classes, 
were  not  sufficient,  he  accepted  at  the  end  of  1839  the 
Presidency  of  the  Philosophical  Society,  and  delivered  to 
that  learned  body  a  lecture  on  the  Anemometer  and  other 
meteorological  instruments.  With  his  scientific  tastes  it 
must  have  been  a  pleasure  rather  than  a  burden  to  him 
to  take  part  in  the  public  preparations  for  the  meeting  of 
the  British  Association,  which  was  held  in  Liverpool  in 
September,  1837,  and  to  keep  his  hospitable  house  open 
for  the  entertainment  of  the  members.^ 

His  secular  labours,  however  congenial,  were  undertaken 
for  the  sake  of  increasing  his  income;  for  his  expenditure 
considerably  exceeded  the  amount  of  his  stipend.  But  the 
revenue  derived  from  private  classes  was  necessarily  pre- 
carious; and  he  considered  seriously  an  offer,  which  was 
made  to  him  early  in  1837,  of  the  head-mastership  of  the 


1  From  contemporary  letters  of  Mrs.  Martineau's. 

76 


I832-I848]         LIFE    IN    LIVERPOOL 

new  High  School  at  the  Mechanics'  Institution.  Inde- 
pendently of  the  greater  security  of  income,  he  was  increas- 
ingly disposed  to  undertake  the  organisation  of  a  school 
in  which  room  would  be  given  to  carry  out  to  the  utmost 
all  his  own  ideas.  The  minimum  work,  however,  of  seven 
hours  a  day  appeared,  even  to  his  extraordinary  energy, 
to  be  incompatible  with  the  requirements  of  his  ministry, 
and  the  offer  was  eventually  declined.^ 

Under  the  pressure  of  such  absorbing  engagements  it 
is  not  surprising  that  we  occasionally  hear  of  his  being 
ill  from  over-work.  Such  failures  of  energy,  however, 
were  quite  temporary,  and  the  stress  of  labour  was  now 
and  then  relieved  by  pleasant  recreations.  In  the  summer 
of  1833  he  had  a  six  weeks'  tour  in  France  and  Switzer- 
land, and  back  by  the  Rhine,  with  his  kind  friends  the 
Misses  Yates  of  Farmfield.  On  another  occasion  (1845) 
he  made  a  pedestrian  tour  in  the  Isle  of  Man  with  his  son 
Russell,  and  long  remembered  "  some  boating  on  the  ex- 
quisite green  waters  of  the  rocky  coves  on  the  coast  line 
near  Port  Erin."  ^  He  seems  generally  to  have  had  a 
month's  or  six  weeks'  vacation  which  he  spent  with  his 
family  in  different  country  places.  At  one  time  it  was 
at  Llanberis,  where  he  climbed  Snowdon  and  boated  on 
the  lake;  at  another  time  at  Grange;  and  again,  for  three 
successive  summers  (1841-1843)  at  Rivington,  where  the 
family  occupied  Mr.  Darbishire's  cottage,  kindly  lent  for 
the  occasion.  A  smaller  cottage  in  the  adjoining  wood 
served  for  a  study,  and  thither  Mr.  Martineau  repaired 
at  9  A.  M.  for  his  reading  and  writing.  He  took  walks 
with  the  elder  children  before  their  early  dinner,  and  had 
lessons  with  them  in  the  afternoon.  After  tea  he  returned 
to  the  study  till  it  was  too  dark  to  see,  and  then,  after 
locking  up  his  books,  he  and  his  wife  spent  the  hours  of 


1  From  contemporary  letters  of  Mrs.  Martineau's. 

2  Letter  to  Rev.  V.  D.  Davis,  June  i6,  1889. 

77      ■ 


PARADISE    STREET  [1832-1848 

candle-light  in  writing  letters,  reading  aloud,  and  chatting 
together.  Nor  was  the  work  in  Liverpool  without  its 
pleasant  relaxations.  We  hear  of  his  going,  in  plain  dress, 
to  a  fancy  ball ;  attending  operas  and  the  performances 
at  the  musical  festival,  and  celebrating  his  birthday  by 
romping  with  the  children  in  the  fields,  while  his  wife  sat 
on  the  grass  to  see  the  fun,^  He  retained  through  life  his 
fondness  for  children,  and  liked  to  romp  with  them.  One 
of  his  future  pupils,  when  a  small  boy,  was  once  captured 
by  him,  and,  after  a  good  swing,  perched  upon  his  head. 
On  another  occasion  two  little  grand-children  of  his  friend, 
the  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed,  were  expecting  to  go  to  the 
pantomime.  One  of  them  suddenly  begged  Mr.  Martineau 
to  go  with  them;  and  the  result  was  that  he  took  a  large 
box  at  Drury  Lane  Theatre,  and  made  up  a  party.  Another 
anecdote  illustrates  his  tactfulness  and  good-nature  with 
children.  During  the  war  between  Russia  and  Turkey  Mr. 
Martineau  was  on  the  side  of  the  Turks.  One  day  when 
he  and  another  gentleman  were  visiting  the  Rev.  P.  H. 
Wicksteed,  who  took  the  other  side,  one  of  the  children 
came  in,  armed  with  helmet  and  sword.  Mr.  Martineau 
at  once  greeted  him,  and  said,  "  What,  are  you  going  to 
kill  the  Turks  ?  "  The  child,  who  had  an  uneasy  feeling 
that  he  might  have  been  called  upon  by  an  unsympathetic 
stranger  to  kill  the  Russians,  brightened  up  with  responsive 
pleasure,  and  said,  "  Yes,"  to  Mr.  Martineau's  great  amuse- 
ment and  delight. 

Before  leaving  this  general  description  of  Mr.  Martineau's 
life  we  may  subjoin  some  notes,  from  a  manuscript  by  one 
of  his  children,  giving  an  account  of  his  relationship  with 
his  young  family.  The  education  of  his  children  was 
largely  conducted  by  himself,  from  the  time  when  they 
were  able  to  learn  the  first  rudiments  of  geography  and 
grammar. 

1  From  contemporary  letters. 

78 


I832-I848]         LIFE    IN    LIVERPOOL 

"  The  elder  ones,  to  whom  naturally  he  devoted  more  of 
his  time  than  was  possible  at  a  later  period,  remember  these 
early  instructions  with  especial  pleasure  and  gratitude,  for 
they  were  characterised  by  the  truest  sympathy,  and  a  remark- 
able power  of  placing  himself  in  the  position  of  the  young 
learner  and  adapting  his  illustrations  to  the  capacity  of  each 
child.  One  of  our  earliest  recollections  of  that  happy  time 
is  connected  with  his  teaching  of  physical  geography,  which 
he  made  for  us  a  truly  delightful  lesson.  .  .  .  lie  taught 
English  grammar,  also,  upon  a  plan  of  his  own,  which  he 
must  have  thought  out  with  much  care  and  pains.  .  .  .  When 
this  was  well  accomplished,  he  began  with  Greek,  as  the  first 
foreign  language,  and  this  he  taught  also  upon  a  plan  of  his 
own.  .  .  .  Often,  whilst  he  was  dressing  in  a  morning,  he 
used  to  call  us  in  to  repeat  a  noun  or  a  verb,  learned  the  day 
before,  and  this  we  used  quite  to  enjoy.  So  plain  and  simple 
were  the  lessons  made,  that  I  remember  when  I  some  years 
later  asked  him  why  he  had  begun  with  Greek  in  preference 
to  Latin,  in  teaching  us,  and  he  replied,  '  Because  I  thought 
it  best  to  take  the  most  difficult  language  first,'  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  that  it  was  considered  to  be  so.  He  was 
particularly  methodical  in  the  arrangement  of  his  time,  and 
this  it  doubtless  was  which  enabled  him,  together  with  great 
power  of  concentrating  his  attention,  to  accomplish  through 
life  so  great  an  amount  of  work  of  various  kinds.  Our 
childish  remembrance  of  him  is  that  he  was  always  busy, 
except  at  the  short  and  happy  intervals  in  the  twilight  or 
after  tea,  when  he  would  play  with  us,  or  tell  from  his  own 
remembrance,  or  read  aloud,  some  interesting  story.  Yet  it 
was  very  characteristic  of  him  that  he  never  seemed  in  a 
hurry,  and  if  any  of  us,  or  any  friend,  wished  to  consult 
him,  he  always  found  time  to  hear,  and  to  speak  with  full 
sympathy  on  any  subject  that  was  brought  before  him.  We 
used  to  be  struck  with  his  calm  gentleness  and  serenity  at 
all  times,  and  the  influence  it  exercised  over  us  was  such 
that  a  word,  or  sometimes  a  look,  from  him  was  enough  to 
make  us  eagerly  anxious  to  follow  out  his  wishes  and  to 
deserve  his  approval.  I  remember  observing  particularly,  that 
whenever  most  pressed  upon,  either  by  the  hurry  of  work, 
or  by  preparations  for  a  journey,  or  by  any  unusual  trial  or 
sorrow,  he  was  even  more  calm,  collected  and  gentle  in  his 
whole  manner  than  usual,  and  I  often  reflect  how  great  must 
have  been  the  self-control  exercised  hourly  over  a  remarkably 
sensitive  nature,  before  this  could  have  been  the  impression 

79 


PARADISE    STREET  [1833 

of  his  character  upon  young-  children.  .  .  .  Every  Sunday 
we  used  each  of  us  to  learn  a  hymn  by  heart,  out  of  the  books 
which  he  had  given  us,  with  our  names  written  into  them 
by  himself,  and  which  we  have  kept  always  by  us  through 
life." 

In  the  foregoing  sketch  nothing  has  been  said  of  the 
deep  inner  life  of  faith  v/hich  directed  and  controlled  this 
wonderful  activity.  The  nature  of  this  must  be  learned 
from  his  published  works.  It  is  not  known  that  he  kept 
any  private  journal.  The  constant  scrutiny  of  his  own 
spiritual  state  would  have  been  quite  alien  to  his  healthy 
and  simple  nature.  His  vision  was  fixed,  not  on  the  mor- 
bid anatomy  of  self,  but  on  the  Ruler  of  his  conscience  and 
his  heart,  in  whom  he  found  the  attraction  of  all  noble 
ideals,  drawing  him  up  into  the  free  air  of  self-forgetfulness. 
No  man  could  less  have  endured  that  the  light  of  publicity 
should  be  turned  on  his  private  confidences  with  God;  but 
this  we  may  venture  to  say,  that  few  men  have  come  nearer 
to  the  fulfilment  of  the  apostolic  precept,  "  Pray  without 
ceasing." 

We  must  now  revert  to  a  more  chronological  arrange- 
ment. In  1833  the  earliest  of  his  collected  essays,  on 
*'  The  Life  and  Works  of  Dr.  Priestley,"  appeared  in  the 
"Monthly  Repository."^  In  this  essay  it  is  already  apparent 
that  he  was  becoming  dissatisfied  with  the  older  form  of 
Unitarianism,  which  was  bound  up  with  the  doctrine  of 
necessity  and  the  association-philosophy.  His  aversion  to 
the  popular  forms  of  religion  is  indeed  strongly  marked. 
"  Calvinism,  like  the  magicians  of  Egypt,  could  poison  and 
taint  the  salubrious  stream ;  true  religion,  like  the  prophet's 
rod,  could  alone  convert  the  current  of  blood  into  the  waters 
of  fertility."  Again,  "  A  ritual  system  can  no  more  create 
a  soul,  than  the  study  of  Greek  metres  can  make  a  poet." 


1  Reprinted  in  "Miscellanies,"  Boston  and  New  York,  1852,  and  in  "Essays, 
Reviews,  and  Addresses,"  1890,  Vol.  I. 

80 


1834]        EMERSON  — DR.  TUCKERMAN 

Still  he  rejoices  to  believe  that  Unitarians  are  beginning 
to  perceive  the  error  of  a  retaliative  logic,  and  are  thinking 
more  of  the  interior  spirit  of  devotion.  And  of  Priestley, 
while  giving  a  fine  appreciation  of  his  character  and  attain- 
ments, he  says :  "  We  do  not  assert  that  he  was  not  pre- 
cipitate ;  we  do  not  say  that  he  cast  away  no  gems  of  truth 
in  clearing  from  the  sanctuary  the  dust  of  ages ;  we  do  not 
deny  that,  in  his  passion  for  simplification,  he  did  sometimes 
run  too  rapidly  through  a  mystery,  and  propound  incon- 
siderate explanations  of  things  deeper  than  his  philosophy." 
One  allusion  shows  that  he  had  already  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  German  thought.  In  speaking  of  Priestley's  lectures 
on  literary  subjects,  while  marking  his  superiority  to  his 
predecessors,  he  pronounces  him  "  inferior  to  the  noble 
school  of  German  critics,  whose  genius  has,  in  our  own  day, 
penetrated  the  mysteries,  and  analysed  the  spirit,  of  poetry 
and  the  arts." 

In  the  course  of  the  summer  "  a  fine  young  man,  named 
Emerson,"  presented  himself,  with  an  introduction  from 
Henry  Ware;  but  we  do  not  hear  what  passed  between 
the  two  men  who  were  destined  to  rise  to  such  high 
distinction. 

Early  in  1834  Mr.  Martineau  "  preached  to  an  immense 
congregation  "  on  the  attempts  of  the  orthodox  Dissenters 
to  deprive  Unitarians  of  their  endowments;  but  he  de- 
clined the  publication  of  the  lectures.  In  April,  Dr.  Joseph 
Tuckerman,  the  founder  of  what  was  known  in  the  United 
States  as  the  "  Ministry  at  large,"  paid  a  visit  to  Liver- 
pool, where  he  stayed  at  Greenbank,  the  residence  of  Mr. 
William  Rathbone,  and  where  he  succeeded,  as  in  other 
large  towns,  in  rousing  the  attention  of  Unitarians  to  the 
claims  which  the  poorest  class  of  society  had  on  their 
sympathy  and  zeal.  The  appeals  of  Dr.  Tuckerman  re- 
sulted in  the  establishment  of  several  Domestic  Missions; 
and,  as  we  shall  see  presently,  his  visit  to  Liverpool  was 
6  81 


PARADISE    STREET  [1834 

not  without  fruit.  "  His  thrilling  tones,  and  his  overflow- 
ing heart,  and  his  consecrated  life,"  and  his  "  countenance, 
the  light  whereof  was  a  divine  charity,"  were  long  remem- 
bered by  those  who  met  him.^ 

On  Wednesday,  the  21st  of  May,  Mr.  Martineau  deliv- 
ered the  anniversary  sermon  for  the  British  and  Foreign 
Unitarian  Association  at  "  The  Unitarian  Chapel  in  South 
Place,  Finsbury."  As  this  fine  sermon,  anticipating  as  it 
does  some  of  the  leading  thoughts  which  have  since  been 
appropriated  by  theology,  and  sentiments  which  the  reli- 
gious world  of  England  has  not  yet  attained,  is  not  now 
easily  accessible,  an  analysis  of  its  contents  is  subjoined- 
His  subject  was  "  The  Existing  State  of  Theology  as  an 
Intellectual  Pursuit,  and  Religion  as  a  Moral  Influence." 
Taking  for  his  text  the  account  of  the  gift  of  tongues  in 
Acts,  he  pointed  out  that  "  the  ages  are  no  less  diversified 
than  the  countries  of  the  world ;  and  each,  having  a  pecul- 
iar character,  must  be  addressed  in  a  peculiar  language," 
and  we  are  not  to  have  "  an  inconsiderate  passion  for 
imitating  the  apostles."  Animated  by  a  wish  to  avoid  this 
error,  he  proposed  to  enquire,  "  What  are  the  means  which 
we  should  now  trust  for  the  promotion  of  theological 
truth  and  the  elevation  of  religious  sentiment  among  the 
great  body  of  the  people?"  As  ideas  were  "propagated 
downwards  through  the  several  gradations  of  minds,"  the 
first  requisite  was  the  cultivation  of  "  theological  science  " 
by  "  men  at  once  erudite  and  free,  men  who  have  the 
materials  of  knowledge  with  which  to  determine  the  great 
problems  of  morals  and  religion,  and  a  genius  to  think, 
and  imagine,  and  feel,  without  let  or  hindrance  of  hope 
or  fear."  This  leads  him  to  defend  "  the  application  of 
the  word  science  to  theology  "  against  those  who  are  justly 
repelled  by  the  "  leaden  and  soulless  productions  of  the 


1  From  the  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed's  sermon  at  Hope  Street,  Oct.  21,  1849. 

82 


1834]     SERMON  TO  UNITARIAN  ASS'N 

theological  press,"  the  compositions  of  men  who  endeavour 
"  to  atone  by  microscopic  accuracy  for  imbecility  in  fun- 
damental principles,  and  not  pervaded  by  that  true  spirit 
of  history,  that  sympathy  with  the  soul  of  antiquity,  which 
is  essential  to  the  interpreter  of  the  venerable  monuments 
of  the  past."  This  low  condition  of  theology  is  partly  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  right  of  private  judgment  has  been  mis- 
taken for  the  power,  and  grave  and  intricate  questions  have 
been  submitted  to  incompetent  arbitration ;  and  "  that 
sectarian  democracy,  which  abandons  exclusively  to  the 
suffrages  of  the  multitude  the  decision  of  theological  per- 
plexities on  which  erudition  and  philosophy  pause,  needs 
an  emphatic  discouragement."  The  remedy  for  this,  as  for 
other  social  evils,  is  to  be  found  in  the  "  reduction  of  author- 
ity to  its  minimum,  and  the  elevation  of  intelligence  to  its 
maximum."  "  Another  cause  of  the  poverty  of  theological 
science  is  found  in  the  fatal  association  between  mental 
error  and  moral  turpitude,"  especially  when  "  viewed  in 
connection  with  another  mistake  —  the  verbal  inspiration 
of  the  Scriptures."  Hence  the  alienation  of  thinking  men 
from  Christianity.  But  if  this  "  be  only  the  disgust  of 
refined  philosophy  towards  the  spirit  of  vulgar  dogmatism, 
.  .  .  then  it  is  no  time  either  for  contentment  or  for  de- 
spair." The  fittest  men  to  vindicate  the  gospel  are  "  those 
who  are  not  acted  upon  by  the  influences  which  have 
degraded  it;  those  who  see  in  it  nothing  to  repress,  but 
everything  to  stimulate,  the  intellect,  the  imagination,  the 
affections."  "  When  men  of  this  kind  are  encouraged  by 
public  sentiment  to  devote  themselves  to  a  free  search  into 
the  resources  of  religious  science;  when  high  powers  of 
intellect,  attracted  by  the  mysteries  of  nature,  life  and 
miracle,  can  speculate  on  them  without  compromise  of  men- 
tal liberty,  or  loss  of  moral  sympathy,  there  will  be  better 
hopes  for  Christianity."  While,  however,  it  is  the  business 
of  theology  to  discover  the  great  principles  of  faith  and 

83 


PARADISE    STREET  [1834 

morals,  it  is  that  of  religion  to  apply  them ;  and  this  is  the 
concern,  not  of  the  student,  but  of  the  preacher,  and  of  all 
institutions  which  aim  at  the  general  diffusion  of  religious 
influences.  But  the  attempts  made  in  this  country  to  bring 
controversy  before  popular  tribunals,  while  they  have  made 
theology  superficial,  have  rendered  religion  sectarian.  The 
evils  of  sectarianism,  with  "  its  cold  and  hard  ministrations  " 
and  "  malignant  exclusiveness,"  are  exposed  at  length,  and 
it  is  laid  down  that  "  the  fundamental  principle  of  one  who 
would  administer  religion  to  the  minds  of  his  fellow-men 
should  be,  that  all  that  has  ever  been  extensively  venerated 
must  possess  ingredients  that  are  venerable."  The  religious 
reformer  must  have  "  a  deep  and  reverential  sympathy  with 
human  feelings,  a  quick  perception  of  the  great  and  beauti- 
ful, a  promptitude  to  cast  himself  into  the  minds  of  others, 
and  gaze  through  their  eyes  at  the  objects  which  they  love. 
.  .  .  The  precise  logician  may  sit  eternally  in  the  centre  of 
his  own  circle  of  correct  ideas,  and  preach  demonstrably  the 
folly  of  the  world's  superstitions;  yet  he  will  never  affect 
the  thoughts  of  any  but  marble-minded  beings  like  himself." 
The  practical  application  of  creeds  would  create  "  a  new 
criterion  of  judgment  between  differing  systems;  for  that 
system  must  possess  most  truth,  which  creates  the  most 
intelligence  and  virtue."  In  conclusion  he  assumes  that  the 
object  of  the  Association  is  to  distribute  works  which  must 
redeem  theology  from  contempt,  and  to  establish  "  union 
and  sympathy  among  those  whose  first  principles  are  in 
direct  contradiction  to  all  that  is  sectarian,  and  who  desire 
only  to  emancipate  the  understanding  from  all  that  en- 
feebles, and  the  heart  from  all  that  narrows  it.  The  triumph 
of  its  doctrines  would  be,  not  the  ascendancy  of  one  sect  but 
the  harmony  of  all  " ;  and  he  looks  forward  to  the  time 
when  "  our  work  will  be  done,  our  reward  before  us,  and 
our  little  community  of  reformers  lost  in  the  wide  fraternity 
of  enlightened  and  benevolent  men." 

84 


1835]    -VIEWS  FROM  HALLEY'S  COMET" 

Later  in  the  year  his  congregation  presented  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau  for  the  third  time  with  a  gift,  amounting  this  time 
to  £150,  as  an  expression  of  their  appreciation  and  per- 
sonal attachment.  He  was  now  looking  forward  to  being 
sole  minister;  for  his  colleague  had  become  incapacitated 
through  failing  health.  As  Mr.  Grundy  was  not  an  old 
man  it  was  perhaps  natural  that  he  should  be  unwilling  to 
resign ;  but  Mrs.  Grundy  had  frankly  expressed  the  concern 
of  herself  and  the  family  at  his  clinging  to  his  office  so  long 
after  being  disabled  for  its  duties.  However,  the  resig- 
nation was  at  last  sent  in;  and  at  a  meeting  of  the  con- 
gregation on  Jan.  26,  1835,  a  resolution  was  unanimously 
and  cordially  passed  devolving  the  sole  ministry  on  Mr. 
Martineau,  Mr.  Grundy's  retirement  taking  effect  on  the 
25th  of  March.  On  the  28th  of  January  this  resolution 
was  briefly  but  suitably  acknowledged  by  Mr.  Martineau. 
His  letter  ends  thus :  "  I  content  myself  now  with  assur- 
ing you  that  I  do  not  receive  my  additional  duties  from  your 
hands  without  a  deep  sense  of  the  responsibility  which 
they  impose;  that  I  shall  speedily  make  arrangements  for 
devoting  to  them  a  larger  portion  of  my  time;  that  I  shall 
be  thankful  for  such  aid  as  the  experience  of  my  respected 
colleague  will  enable  him,  and  his  kindness  will  still  dispose 
him  to  give;  and  that  for  success  in  the  noble  field  before 
me  I  shall  mainly  trust  to  your  co-operation,  and  to  that 
Blessing  which  Providence  is  not  slow  to  shed,  where  mind, 
hands,  and  heart  are  enlisted  in  the  service  of  Truth  and 
Love." 

On  the  27th  of  September  he  delivered  a  remarkable 
sermon,  entitled  "  Views  of  the  World  from  Halley's 
Comet."  ^  This  comet,  which  has  a  period  of  seventy-five 
years,  had  recently  appeared;  and  the  sermon  pictures  the 
various  stages  of  civilisation  which  the  comet  might  be  sup- 


1  Essays,  IV.  p.  341  sqq. 

85 


PARADISE    STREET  [1835 

posed  to  have  witnessed  on  its  successive  returns  since  the 
middle  ages.  The  preacher  had  no  fear  of  the  "  breaking 
up  of  creeds  and  forms,"  which  marked  the  present  visita- 
tion :  "  It  is  the  needful  fusing  of  old  material,  ere  thought 
is  poured  into  new  moulds  and  comes  out  in  diviner  forms." 
He  cast  a  favourable  eye  on  Political  Economy,  and  had  not 
discovered  that  it  was  a  "  dismal  science."  He  says :  "  Led 
in  another  direction  by  one  of  the  profoundest  of  philoso- 
phers, Adam  Smith,  society  has  turned  to  the  study  of  itself. 
And  that  science,  of  which  he  was  the  creator,  has  already 
done  too  much  in  softening  the  jealousies  of  nations,  in 
rebuking  the  selfishness  of  class,  in  exciting  sympathy  for 
the  well-being  of  the  industrious  many,  not  to  give  good 
hope,  from  its  co-operation  with  higher  causes,  for  the 
peace  of  communities,  and  the  civilisation  of  the  world." 
Altogether  the  outlook  is  optimistic.  Recent  changes  *'  have 
favourably  affected  the  condition  of  the  great  body  of  the 
population ;  .  .  .  and  though  that  benevolence  must  be 
paltry,  which  can  look  with  satisfied  complacency  at  the 
present  state  of  the  public  mind  and  character,  —  at  the 
present  amount  of  education  and  especially  of  religion,  3'-et 
there  is  ground  for  gratulation,  that  the  instruments  of 
improvement  are  in  our  hands,  and  the  aspirations  of  society 
still  turned  towards  better  things."  The  sermon  closes  with 
an  eloquent  argument  on  behalf  of  the  individual  immor- 
tality of  man,  "  the  infinite  fidelity  of  God,"  and  the  change- 
less laws  of  Duty. 

On  the  14th  of  August  a  child,  Herbert,  was  born,  whose 
pathetic  history  will  be  given  further  on.  In  November, 
as  Mr.  Martineau  objected  to  baptism,  the  infant  was  "  ded- 
icated "  by  the  Rev.  Joseph  Blanco  White,  in  presence  of 
a  large  family  gathering.  "  Mr.  White  lived  at  no  great 
distance.  He  was  pleased  with  the  idea  of  a  simple  service 
of  Dedication  at  the  parents'  house;  and,  though  with- 
drawn from  all  public  duty,  readily  consented,  in  expression 

86 


1836]     SERMON    FOR    THE    COLLEGE 

of  private  friendship,  to  join  in  our  thanksgiving  and  leave 
with  us  his  benediction."  ^  "  The  memory  of  his  sensitive 
features,  grave  expression,  and  deliberate  speech  "  was  in- 
separably associated  in  Dr.  Martineau's  mind  with  this 
occasion.- 

On  the  24th  of  January,  1836,  Mr.  Martineau  had  the 
honour  of  preaching,  in  Cross  Street  Chapel,  Manchester, 
a  sermon,  in  addition  to  one  by  Mr.  John  Kenrick,  in  cele- 
bration of  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  little  College  he 
loved  so  well,  and  on  which  he  was  destined  to  confer  such 
distinction.  He  chose  for  his  subject  the  "  Need  of  Culture 
for  the  Christian  Ministry."  ^  In  addressing  his  hearers 
he  set  forth  his  own  ideal :  "  You  do  not  want  less  cul- 
tivation, but  more  soul;  a  more  living  spirit  breathed  into 
the  outward  forms  of  religion,  and  kindling  them  into  the 
fires  of  a  holier  worship :  you  demand  not  a  more  empty 
mind,  but  one  more  teeming  wath  aspiring  thoughts ;  —  a 
burning  utterance,  the  overflowing  of  vivid  convictions  and 
quenchless  desires ;  —  appeals  such  as  burst  from  men  of 
high  purposes  and  great  hearts,  heaving  secretly  with  faith 
in  God  and  hope  for  man."  Even  at  that  early  period  he 
recognised  very  distinctly  the  need  of  an  historical  treatment 
of  the  Scriptures,  and  perceived  that  to  pass,  through  ample 
learning,  "  behind  the  veil  of  antiquity  is  the  only  method 
of  rising  to  a  genuine  appreciation  of  the  mind  of  Christ, 
or  of  attaining  a  clear  vision  of  the  perfect  religion  which 
it  enshrines."  It  is  interesting  to  observ^e  his  view  of  the 
evangelical  narratives :  "  The  Gospels,  with  one  excep- 
tion, were  constructed  from  earlier  documents,  whose  origin 
it  is  impossible  to  trace,  and  whose  fidelity  rests  upon  their 


•  Bi.  Mem. 

2  "  A  Spiritual  Faith.  Sermons  by  John  Hamilton  Thorn.  With  a  Memo- 
rial Preface  by  James  Martineau,"  1895,  p.  xvii. 

3  Essays,  IV.  p.  357  sqq.  So  the  title  stands  in  the  collected  edition ;  but 
originally  it  was  "  The  Demand  of  the  Present  Age  for  an  Enlightened  Chris- 
tian Ministry."    In  the  Essays,  1835  is  a  mistake. 

87 


PARADISE    STREET  [1836 

internal  character."  It  thus  appears  that,  in  accordance 
with  the  general  state  of  the  controversy  at  that  time,  he 
still  accepted  the  Johannine  authorship  of  the  Fourth  Gospel. 
Mr.  Martineau  was  deeply  interested  in  founding  a  Do- 
mestic Mission  in  Liverpool,  on  the  general  lines  laid  down 
by  Dr.  Tuckerman.  The  initiative  was  taken  by  his  friend, 
the  Rev.  John  Hamilton  Thorn ;  and  this  may  be  the  proper 
place  to  say  a  few  words  about  a  man  for  whom,  during  the 
remainder  of  their  joint  lives,  he  entertained  the  profoundest 
regard.  Mr.  Thom  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  educated  at 
Newry  and  Belfast,  where  he  imbibed  the  Arian  views 
which  were  prevalent  at  that  time  among  the  Unitarians 
of  Ulster.  He  had  settled  in  Liverpool  three  years  before 
Mr.  Martineau,  having  been  for  two  years  minister  of  the 
Ancient  Chapel  in  Toxteth  Park,  and  then  having  removed 
to  Renshaw  Street  Chapel,  the  scene  of  the  remainder  of  his 
ministry.  His  theology  underwent  gradual  modification; 
but  it  was  not  the  theological  aspect  of  religion  that  most 
attracted  him,  nor  was  it  in  the  field  of  intellectual  specu- 
lation that  his  influence  was  felt.  He  had  rare  spiritual 
gifts,  with  a  keen  sense  of  all  that  was  pure  and  ideal  in 
character  and  aspiration,  and  his  determining  aim  was  to 
conform  himself  and  his  hearers  to  the  "  Spirit  of  Life  in 
Christ  Jesus."  On  those  who  came  with  prepared  hearts, 
and  were  capable  of  entering  into  the  deeper  experiences  of 
the  Christian  life,  his  preaching  made  a  profound  impres- 
sion. His  extemporary  addresses  at  a  city  meeting,  or  a 
College  commemoration,  or  the  anniversary  of  a  Mission, 
were  long  remembered  by  those  who  heard  them.  "  Of 
speeches  on  this  modest  level,"  says  Dr.  Martineau,  "  often 
involving  conflicts  of  opinion,  historical  narrative,  and  per- 
sonal sketches,  it  has  never  been  my  lot  to  hear  any  com- 
parable to  Mr.  Thom's."  ^      Such  was  the  man  who,  on 


1  "  A  Spiritual  Faith."     Memorial  Preface,  p.  xxviii.,  where  the  characteris- 
tics of  his  speaking  are  fully  described. 

88 


1836]    DOMESTIC    MISSION    FOUNDED 

Christmas  Day,  1835,  preached  a  most  impressive  sermon, 
pleading  for  the  establishment  of  a  Domestic  Mission ;  and 
Mr.  Martineau  resolved  to  ask  him  to  repeat  it  in  Paradise 
Street,  in  order  to  identify  him  completely  and  individually 
with  the  movement  in  Liverpool,  and  to  unite  the  two  con- 
gregations and  their  ministers  in  this  philanthropic  work. 
The  ground  being  thus  prepared,  a  meeting  was  held  in 
Renshaw  Street  Chapel  on  Good  Friday,  the  ist  of  April, 
1836,  to  constitute  the  Mission.  The  Chair  was  occupied 
by  Mr.  William  Rathbone.  The  meeting  was  attended,  and 
the  resolutions  supported,  by  men  well  known  in  Liverpool 
society ;  —  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Thom,  H.  Giles,  J.  Martineau, 
J.  Blanco  White,  Dr.  Sheppard,  Mr.  Thomas  Bolton,  Mr. 
H.  Booth,  Mr.  Christopher  Rawdon,  Mr.  R.  V.  Yates, 
Mr.  Thomas  Holt,  Mr.  S.  S.  Gair,  and  several  others; 
and  Mr.  Martineau  had  thus  the  satisfaction  of  helping 
to  establish  an  institution  which  has  grown  in  strength 
and  usefulness  down  to  the  present  day.  The  aim  of 
the  Mission  was  entirely  unsectarian.  It  was  to  be  "  a 
distinct  IMinistry  for  the  Poor,  which  would  carry  the  spirit 
of  Christianity  to  the  homes  of  the  neglected."  The  duties 
of  the  Minister  were  to  be  "  to  establish  an  intercourse  with 
a  limited  number  of  families  of  the  neglected  poor  —  to  put 
himself  into  close  sympathy  with  their  wants  —  to  become 
to  them  a  Christian  adviser  and  friend  —  to  promote  the 
order  and  comfort  of  their  homes,  and  the  elevation  of  their 
social  tastes  —  to  bring  them  into  a  permanent  connection 
with  religious  influences  —  and,  above  all,  to  promote  an 
effective  education  of  their  children,  and  to  shelter  them 
from  corrupting  agencies."  ^  The  purely  domestic  character 
of  this  ministry  necessarily  passed  away.  Families  became 
attached  to  the  minister,  and  it  was  found  advisable  to  start 
Sunday  Schools  and  assemblies  for  worship,  so  that  the 


1  Quoted  from  the  resolutions  passed  at  the  meeting. 

89 


PARADISE    STREET  [1836 

Domestic  Mission  now  comprises  a  variety  of  agencies  for 
ameliorating  the  condition  of  the  poor,  the  original  religious 
aim,  to  imbue  them  with  the  spirit  of  Christianity,  never 
being  lost  sight  of.  Dr.  Martineau  retained  to  the  last  his 
sympathy  with  this  beneficent  work,  and  gave  to  it  such 
co-operation  as  his  pressing  engagements  allowed. 

In  1836  appeared  Mr.  Martineau's  first  systematic  trea- 
tise, entitled  "  The  Rationale  of  Religious  Enquiry;  or  the 
Question  stated  of  Reason,  the  Bible,  and  the  Church :  in 
Six  Lectures."  The  lectures  had  been  delivered  towards 
the  close  of  the  previous  year,  and  the  author  felt  at  the  time 
that  "  the  popular  form  required  for  public  delivery  pre- 
cluded any  very  systematic  or  philosophical  treatment  of  the 
subject " ;  and  in  subsequent  years  he  came  to  regard  the 
work  as  a  very  immature  statement  of  his  views.  Never- 
theless these  lectures  not  only  contain  passages  of  great 
brilliancy,  but  trace  out  with  remarkable  clearness  and  force 
a  line  of  thought  which  the  writer  never  abandoned,  and 
which  reappear  with  vast  enrichment  and  elaboration  in 
his  latest  systematic  work,  "  The  Seat  of  Authority  in 
Religion."  Indeed  the  very  title  of  the  later  work  is  almost 
anticipated  in  the  earlier :  "  Let  us  take  to  pieces  the 
theories  of  the  Roman  Catholic  and  Protestant  religions; 
.  .  .  especially  seeking  to  discover  the  supposed  seat  of 
certainty  in  each."  *  "  It  was  with  a  view  to  improve  his 
ideas  of  the  method  of  investigating  the  characteristics  of 
Christianity,  and  to  estimate  the  value  of  the  materials  for 
judgment  which  present  themselves,"  that  the  lectures  were 
composed.^  The  first  lecture,  on  "  Inspiration,"  examines 
the  authority  of  the  books  of  the  New  Testament.  The 
word  inspiration  is  used  in  the  technical  sense  which  was  cur- 
rent at  the  time,  and  is  defined  as  "  the  Divine  correction 
of  intellectual  and  moral  error  " ;    and  the  conclusion  is 


*  P.  73.     The  italics  are  in  the  original.  *  Preface. 

90 


1836]  "THE    RATIONALE" 

accordingly  reached  that  we  must  pronounce  the  books 
"  uninspired  but  truthful ;  sincere,  able,  vigorous,  but  fal- 
lible; all  in  them  that  depends  upon  veracity  to  be  received, 
all  else  open  to  examination ;  their  statements  of  fact  to  be 
admitted,  their  interpretations  of  them  to  be  criticised ;  their 
reasonings  to  be  respected,  but  sifted;  their  morality  to  be 
reverenced,  but  studied  in  its  adaptation  to  their  own  age 
and  position."  ^  The  second  lecture,  on  "  Catholic  Infalli- 
bility," after  a  glowing  picture  of  what  the  Catholic  Church 
has  accomplished  in  the  world,  proceeds  to  demolish  its 
dogmatic  claims.  A  Catholic  would  not  feel  much  force  in 
the  argument  founded  on  the  foolishness  of  patristic  tra- 
ditions, for  a  system  of  dogmas  might  be  handed  down 
unimpaired,  and  yet  leave  ample  room  for  the  vagaries  of 
legendary  fancy.  Much  more  convincing  is  the  proof  that 
a  supposed  authority,  which  itself  rests  on  the  probabilities 
of  rational  evidence,  has  no  just  claim  to  withdraw  its 
allegations  from  the  scrutiny  of  reason.  The  lecture  on 
"  Protestant  Infallibility  "  deals  not  with  the  nature  of  the 
Scriptures,  which  has  been  considered  in  the  first  lecture,  but 
with  the  practical  assumption  of  each  interpreter  that  he  is 
himself  infallible.  The  Bible  is  not  trusted  to  go  by  itself 
among  the  people.  "  Preachers  will  go  before  it,  and  tell 
them  what  they  are  to  find  in  it ;  creeds  will  go  after  it,  and 
ask  them  if  they  have  found  it.  .  .  .  With  all  their  boast- 
ing, not  a  book  exists  of  which  Protestants  are  so  much 
afraid  as  the  Bible."  Hence  Protestantism,  equally  with 
Catholicism,  is  pervaded  by  the  spirit  of  persecution.  In 
opposition  to  these  imperfect  views  of  Christianity,  the 
fourth  lecture  defends  the  thesis  that  the  Gospel  is  "a  system 
of  perfect  rationalism."  By  rationalism  is  here  meant  the 
"  principle  which  vindicates  the  prerogative  of  reason  to 
apply  itself  to  the  interior,  as  well  as  to  the  exterior,  of 

1  P.  32  sq. 

91 


PARADISE    STREET  [1836 

revelation,"  and  the  German  anti-supernaturalism  is  no 
necessary  part  of  it.  Against  this  feature  of  rationalism 
Mr.  Martineau  strongly  protests.  The  business  of  the 
understanding  in  dealing  with  the  Scriptures  is  twofold : 
first,  to  reach  the  original  ideas  of  the  authors ;  secondly,  to 
yield  to  these  ideas  the  right  treatment,  and  consider  how  far 
their  intrinsic  evidence  renders  them  credible.  In  the  ful- 
filment of  the  former  process  our  duty  is  "  the  same  as  in 
the  case  of  any  other  book,"  to  furnish  ourselves  with  all 
the  needful  collateral  knowledge,  and  then  give  ourselves 
freely  up  to  the  impression  which  the  writings  convey, 
"  without  any  attempt  to  modify  it  by  any  notions,  whether 
derived  from  an  ecclesiastical  creed  or  an  individual  theory, 
previously  in  the  mind."  In  regard  to  the  second  function 
the  following  conclusions  are  reached :  "  That  it  is  im- 
possible to  attain  to  any  conviction  more  than  rational ;  that 
there  can  exist  no  obligation,  moral  or  logical,  to  set  aside 
the  suggestions  of  the  understanding  in  obedience  to  exter- 
nal authority;  that  no  seeming  inspiration  can  establish 
anything  contrary  to  reason;  that  the  last  appeal,  in  all 
researches  into  religious  truth,  must  be  to  the  judgments 
of  the  human  mind;  that  against  these  judgments  Scripture 
cannot  have  any  authority,  for  upon  its  authority  they 
themselves  decide."  The  writer  looks  with  hope  to  "  eman- 
cipated Germany."  "  There,  if  anywhere,  will  be  exhibited 
that  truly  sublime  state  of  mind,  faith,  —  absolute  faith,  — 
in  truth :  and  the  great  problem  will  be  solved,  how  to 
combine  the  freest  intellect  with  the  loftiest  devotion ;  — 
and  while  inquiring  always,  to  love  and  worship  still." 
The  fifth  lecture  speaks  of  the  "  Relation  of  Natural  Reli- 
gion to  Christianity."  The  definitions  here  given  would 
certainly  not  have  satisfied  Mr,  Martineau's  later  thought. 
"  Revealed  religion  comprises  the  ideas  of  God  derived  from 
the  miraculous  events  recorded  in  the  Bible."  "  Natural 
religion  comprises  the  ideas  of  God  derived  from  every  other 

92 


1837]         ADDRESS    TO    THE    QUEEN 

quarter."  The  nature  of  religion  is  not  elaborately  analysed 
or  defined ;  but  such  one-sided  definitions  as  that  of  Schleier- 
macher  are  implicitly  set  aside  by  the  recognition  of  religion 
as  a  "  form  of  truth,"  a  "  form  of  emotion/'  and  a  "  prin- 
ciple of  duty,"  and  therefore  "  the  last  and  noblest  exercise 
of  reason,  and  love,  and  conscience."  The  relation  between 
the  two  sources  of  religion  is  thus  defined :  revelation 
*'  is  not  a  contradiction  to  the  great  principles  of  natural 
religion ;  this  would  destroy  its  evidence.  Neither  is  it 
a  mere  record  of  them ;  this  would  render  it  useless.  The 
true  light  in  which  to  regard  it  is,  that  it  is  an  assumption 
of  some,  and  an  anticipation  or  confirmation  of  others." 
The  last  lecture,  on  the  "  Influence  of  Christianity  on 
Morality  and  Civilisation,"  disappoints,  not  by  its  want  of 
eloquence  and  originality,  but  by  the  contraction  of  so  large 
a  subject  into  so  narrow  a  space.  In  determining  what 
particular  features  of  our  morality  and  civilisation  are  to 
be  ascribed  to  the  Gospel,  we  must  apply  the  tests  of  perma- 
nence and  universality.  Two  characteristics  are  selected 
for  treatment,  —  the  sentiment  of  the  natural  equality  of 
men,  and  the  importance  of  speculative  truth  to  the  great 
mass  of  mankind.  The  lectures,  which  are  pervaded  by  an 
ardent  love  of  Christianity,  conclude  w'ith  a  fervid  apos- 
trophe to  the  "  faith  of  our  fathers."  That  the  little  volume, 
which  in  spite  of  its  limitations  and  abandoned  points  of 
view  might  still  be  helpful  to  many  anxious  minds,  met  a 
real  want  at  the  time,  appears  from  the  fact  that  a  second 
edition  was  required  within  a  few  months  of  its  publication. 
Later  in  life  Dr.  Martineau  spoke  of  it  as  "  a  juvenile  pro- 
duction w^hich  I  have  long  ceased  to  reproduce."  ^ 

A  visit  to  London  in  July,  1837,  enabled  him  to  join  the 
deputation  of  English  Presbyterian  Ministers,  who,  on  the 
2ist  of  that  month,  proceeded  to  St.  James's   Palace  to 


1  In  a  letter  to  Mr.  Ireland,  Nov.  6,  1886. 

93 


PARADISE    STREET  [1838 

present  an  address  to  the  Queen  on  her  accession  to  the 
throne.  The  address  was  read  by  the  Rev.  Robert  Aspland ; 
and  all  the  members  of  the  deputation  had  the  honour  of 
kissing  her  Majesty's  hand.  The  following  year  he  was 
present  at  the  coronation  in  Westminster  Abbey, 

On  the  19th  and  22d  of  June,  1838,  an  aggregate  meet- 
ing of  Unitarians  was  held  at  Essex  Street  Chapel,  London, 
on  the  invitation  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Unitarian 
Association,  "  to  take  into  consideration  the  present  state 
of  the  denomination,  and  to  consult  upon  measures  for  pro- 
moting its  future  welfare."  The  principal  object  in  view 
was  the  adoption  of  some  means  "  of  bringing  the  whole 
body  of  Unitarians  in  the  United  Kingdom  into  closer  and 
more  effective  union."  The  congregations  now  known  as 
Unitarian  looked  with  aversion  upon  every  form  of  Church 
government,  which  they  believed  must  inevitably  encroach 
upon  their  independence,  and  destroy  the  religious  freedom 
which  was  their  most  precious  inheritance.  In  order  to 
meet  this  feeling,  the  following  resolution  was  proposed 
and  carried,  with  only  two  dissentient  voices :  "  That  this 
Meeting  recognises  and  acknowledges  the  complete  and 
thorough  Independence  of  our  separate  Religious  Societies, 
as  to  all  matters  of  Internal  Arrangement  and  Discipline; 
and  whilst  recommending  Union,  contemplates  no  measures 
which  can  interfere  with  this  great  and  essential  Principle.'* 
The  next  resolution  was  carried  unanimously :  "  That  it 
appears  to  this  Meeting  expedient  to  adopt  some  effective 
plan  of  Mutual  Co-operation  and  Union  amongst  the  Uni- 
tarians of  this  country."  On  this  resolution  Mr.  Martineail 
raised  a  warning  voice.  He  said  that  in  its  general  form 
it  presented  nothing  which  was  undesirable,  and  that  there 
was  no  one  who  would  make  greater  exertions  to  bring  it 
about  than  himself.  But  the  organisation  which  was  pro- 
posed was  essentially  ecclesiastical,  and  would  require  some 
proposition  as  to  the  mode  in  which  they  were  to  unite ;  and 

94 


1838]      THE    UNITARIAN    ASSOCIATION 

if  the  union  were  to  be  a  sectarian  or  theological  union  of 
Unitarian  churches,  he  for  one  would  have  to  dissent  from 
it.  Another  long  resolution  was  brought  forward,  approv- 
ing of  the  general  plan  and  constitution  of  the  British  and 
Foreign  Unitarian  Association,  and  requesting  its  Com- 
mittee to  prepare  and  circulate  an  abstract  of  the  plans 
suggested  at  the  Meeting  for  the  promotion  of  a  closer  and 
more  effective  union  amongst  the  Unitarians  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  This  called  forth  an  important  speech 
from  Mr.  Martineau.  He  approved  of  the  Association,  and 
would  esteem  it  an  honourable  task  to  defend  it  from  unjust 
attacks.  But  its  constitution  was  entirely  sectarian,  con- 
templating the  diffusion  of  one  fixed  form  of  theological 
opinion ;  and  therefore  it  could  not  be  regarded  as  realising 
the  ideas  and  desires  of  union  which  had  led  to  the  conven- 
ing of  the  Meeting.  He  objected  to  the  very  principle  of 
a  sectarian  or  theological  union  among  Unitarian  churches. 
None  such  could  be  successful,  because  real  and  serious  dif- 
ferences of  sentiment  had  grown  up  among  them.  Theolo- 
gically they  were  united  simply  as  Jwbelievers  of  the  Trinity, 
and  therefore  their  lapses  from  the  mark  of  orthodoxy 
had  no  uniform  direction,  and  reached  to  every  grada- 
tion of  distance,  within  the  limits  of  Christianity.  More- 
over it  could  not  be  expected  that  their  present  forms  of 
opinion  would  continue  uniform  and  permanent.  They 
were  obviously  in  a  state  of  transition,  having  a  conscious- 
ness of  religious  defect,  which  excited  earnest  but  vague 
aspirations  after  improvement.  Again,  the  doctrines  in 
which  they  all  agreed  were  not  regarded  with  the  same 
interest  by  all  the  churches;  and  many  of  them  conceived 
that  little  practical  importance  was  to  be  attached  to  their 
view  of  the  Trinity.  They  were  descended  from  forefathers 
of  Calvinistic  belief,  and  they  should  be  the  last  to  deny  the 
tendency  of  the  system  from  which  they  were  now  es- 
tranged, to  produce  great  and  most  excellent  minds.     To 

95 


PARADISE    STREET  1:838 

admit  this  was  to  damp  all  the  fuel  of  sectarian  zeal.  Their 
want  of  progress  was  due,  not  to  defective  ecclesiastical 
arrangements,  but  to  the  state  of  mind  in  which  their  system 
had  its  origin  and  support.  Unitarianism  had  a  sceptical 
origin,  beginning  with  dissuasives  from  belief,  and  charac- 
terised in  the  eyes  of  others  by  its  success  in  proving  how 
few  things  need  be  regarded  as  wonderful  and  divine.  The 
doubters  and  unbelievers  of  other  and  less  reasonable 
churches  constituted  the  new  forces  of  their  own ;  and  thus 
a  critical,  cold  and  untrusting  temper  became  silently  dif- 
fused, unfavourable  to  high  enterprise  and  deep  affections. 
Moreover,  when  at  length  this  spirit  vanished,  and  the  gen- 
uine sentiments  of  personal  religion  acquired  power,  the 
effect  upon  their  consolidation,  as  a  sect,  was  the  reverse 
of  that  which  was  noticeable  in  orthodox  churches.  With 
those  who  esteemed  error  to  be  no  less  fatal  than  sin,  the 
growth  of  piety  inflamed  sectarian  zeal;  with  them,  who 
attached  no  terrors  to  the  involuntary  mistakes  of  the  sincere, 
it  was  otherwise.  Become  more  devout  in  mind,  they  felt 
themselves  not  more,  but  less,  discriminated  from  the  true 
Christian  of  every  faith ;  and  their  sectarian  zeal  underwent 
inevitable  decline.  Thus,  as  a  mere  theological  denomina- 
tion, they  profited  by  the  scepticism  of  other  sects,  and  lost 
by  the  piety  of  their  own.  Accordingly,  he  had  no  san- 
guine expectations  from  any  principle  of  sectarian  union  or 
schemes  of  mechanical  organisation.  If  these  remarks  were 
correct,  they  should  turn  their  attention,  not  to  orthodoxy, 
which  had  a  faith  and  was  satisfied  with  it,  but  to  indiffer- 
ence and  unbelief  and  sin,  which  had  it  not,  and  were  sat- 
isfied without  it.  He  concluded  by  moving  "  that  this 
Meeting,  in  professing  its  attachment  to  Unitarian  Chris- 
tianity, as  at  once  Scriptural  and  Rational,  and  conducive 
to  the  true  glory  of  God  and  Well-being  of  Men,  and  in 
avowing  its  veneration  for  the  early  British  Expositors  and 
Confessors  of  this  Faith,  —  at  the  same  time  recognises  the 

96 


1839]         LIVERPOOL    CONTROVERSY 

Essential  worth  of  that  principle  of  free  inquiry  to  which 
we  are  indebted  for  our  own  form  of  Christianity,  and  of 
that  Spirit  of  deep  and  vital  Religion  which  may  exist  under 
various  forms  of  theological  sentiment,  and  which  gave  to 
our  forefathers  their  implicit  faith  in  Truth,  their  love  of 
God,  and  their  reliance,  for  the  improvement  of  mankind, 
on  the  influences  of  the  Gospel."  This  was  seconded  by  the 
Rev.  J.  J.  Tayler,  and  carried.  The  resolution  relating  to 
the  Unitarian  Association  was  also  carried ;  and  the  Meet- 
ing was  brought  to  a  close  with  the  usual  votes  of  thanks. 

On  the  29th  of  November,  1838,  he  removed  from  Mount 
Street,  where  three  children  had  been  added  to  his  family, 
to  a  more  commodious  residence,  with  a  garden  and  green- 
house.   Of  this  transaction  he  gives  an  amusing  account :  — 

"  In  1838  we  removed  to  a  larger  house,  in  Mason  Street, 
Edgehill,  next  door  to  Dr.  Raffles,  who  was  always  a  pleasant 
neighbour.  In  the  same  terrace  lived  Rev.  Mr.  Hull,  the 
liberal  incumbent  of  the  Church  for  the  Blind.  The  street 
for  the  most  part  belonged  to  an  eccentric  old  man,  who 
picked  his  tenants  by  unaccountable  whims  of  fancy.  On 
my  applying  for  the  house,  he  kept  me  in  suspense  while  he 
catechised  me  in  the  drollest  way  to  find  out  who  I  was :  at 
last,  he  said,  '  Yes,  Sir,  you  shall  have  it :  and  then  with 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Hull,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Raffles,  and  the  Rev.  INIr. 
Martineau,  it  will  be  strange  if  we  have  not  a  trinity  that 
will  keep  the  devil  out  of  the  street.'  On  the  credit  of  this 
function  I  remained  there  seven  years ;  and  there  my  youngest 
son  and  daughter  were  born."  ^ 

Early  in  1839  began  what  was  subsequently  known  as 
the  "  Liverpool  Controversy."  It  was  undertaken  by  thir- 
teen clergymen  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  was  started 
by  the  publication  of  a  letter  addressed  by  the  Rev.  Fielding 
Ould,  minister  of  Christ  Church,  "  to  all  who  call  themselves 
Unitarians  in  the  town  and  neighbourhood  of  Liverpool." 
in  which  they  were  invited  to  come  and  give  a  patient  hear- 

1  Bi.  Mem. 

7  97 


PARADISE    STREET  [1839 

ing  to  a  course  of  lectures  designed  to  "  expose  the  false 
philosophy  and  dangerous  unsoundness  of  the  Unitarian 
system."  Although  this  letter  speaks  of  "  the  controversial 
discussion  of  disputed  points,"  and  says  it  is  a  pleasant  thing 
"  to  tell  and  to  hear  together  of  the  great  things  which  our 
God  has  done  for  our  souls,"  it  seems  clear  that  no  mutual 
discussion  was  intended.  The  telling  was  to  be  all  on 
one  side,  and  the  hearing  on  the  other;  for  it  is  assumed 
throughout  that  God  had  done  nothing  for  the  souls  of 
Unitarians.  However,  the  phrases  used  were  not  unnatu- 
rally misunderstood,  and  regarded  as  an  invitation  to  a 
public  discussion,  on  both  sides,  of  the  questions  at  issue; 
and  the  challenge  was  accordingly  taken  up  by  the  three 
Unitarian  ministers  of  Liverpool,  James  Martineau,  J.  H. 
Thom,  and  Henry  Giles,  minister  of  the  Ancient  Chapel, 
Toxteth  Park.  The  second  of  these  names  is  not  so  widely 
known  as  that  of  Martineau;  but  we  have  already  seen 
what  kind  of  man  he  was,  and  that,  whatever  errors  of 
belief  might  be  ascribed  to  him,  he  was  a  man  of  profound 
and  saintly  soul,  imbued  with  the  finest  spirit  of  Christian 
faith.  Mr.  Giles,  though  not  without  brilliant  points,  can- 
not be  compared  in  mental  or  spiritual  stature  with  the  other 
two.  These  gentlemen  addressed  a  letter  to  the  thirteen 
clergymen,  which  led  to  a  long  and  unsatisfactory  corre- 
spondence, the  details  of  which  we  need  not  follow.^  Suffice 
it  to  say  that  all  proposals  to  present  the  arguments  on  both 


1  The  letters  are  all  reprinted  in  the  volume  containing  the  lectures,  pub- 
lished, with  a  "  General  Preface,"  in  1839,  under  the  title  of  "  Unitarianism 
Defended."  An  account  of  the  controversy  is  given  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Wick- 
steed  in  the  "Theological  Review,"  January,  1877,  and  this,  it  would  seem,  is 
the  first  notice  that  appeared  in  any  periodical  circulating  among  Unitarians. 
As  Dr.  Martineau  says  in  a  letter  to  Mr.Wicksteed,  Nov.  20,  1876 :  "  We  were 
too  '  advanced '  to  be  deemed  safe  objects  of  notice,  yet  were  thrown  into  a 
position  where  it  would  hardly  have  been  loyal  to  make  us  objects  of  critical 
attack."  In  Dr  Martineau's  interesting  account  of  the  theological  differences 
between  himself  and  Mr.  Thom,  in  the  Memorial  Preface  to  "  A  Spiritual 
Faith  "  before  referred  to,  his  recollections  seem  slightly  tinged  by  the  colours 
of  his  later  thought. 

98 


1839]         LIVERPOOL    CONTROVERSY 

sides  through  a  common  medium  to  the  same  public  were 
unavaihng.  There  is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  Mr.  Quid  and 
his  coadjutors  were  animated  by  the  most  charitable  inten- 
tions, and  that  the  language  of  insult  did  not  spring  from 
an  insolent  spirit,  but  was  the  inevitable  expression  of  their 
false  theology,  which  taught  them  to  trust  in  themselves 
that  they  were  righteous  and  to  despise  others,  and  to  treat 
such  men  as  Martineau  and  Thom,  and  many  of  the  noblest 
citizens  of  Liverpool,  as  tremblers  on  the  verge  of  hell. 

One  passage  may  be  quoted,  as  indicating  the  general 
theological  position  maintained  by  the  three  Unitarians : 
"  We  believe,  no  less  than  you,  in  an  infallible  Revelation 
(though  had  we  the  misfortune  to  doubt  it,  we  might  be, 
in  the  sight  of  God,  neither  worse  nor  better  than  your- 
selves) ;  you  in  a  Revelation  of  an  unintelligible  Creed  to 
the  understanding;  we  in  a  Revelation  of  moral  perfection, 
and  the  spirit  of  duty  to  the  heart ;  you  in  a  Revelation  of 
the  metaphysics  of  Deity;  we  in  a  Revelation  of  the  char- 
acter and  providence  of  the  Infinite  Father;  you  in  a  Re- 
demption which  saves  the  few,  and  leaves  with  Hell  the 
triumph  after  all;  we  in  a  Redemption  which  shall  restore 
to  all  at  length  the  image  and  the  immortality  of  God;  we 
do  reserve,  as  you  suggest,  *  a  sort  of  inspiration '  for  the 
founders  of  Christianity,  '  a  sort,'  as  much  higher  than  your 
cold,  dogmatical,  scientific  inspiration,  as  the  intuitions  of 
conscience  are  higher  than  the  predications  of  logic,  and 
the  free  spirit  of  God,  than  the  petty  precision  of  men.  We 
believe  in  a  spiritual  and  moral  Revelation,  most  awakening, 
most  sanctifying,  most  holy ;  which  zvords,  being  the  signs 
of  hard  and  definite  ideas,  could  never  express,  and  which 
is  therefore  pourtrayed  in  a  mind  divinely  finished  for  the 
purpose,  acting  awhile  on  Earth  and  publicly  transferred 
to  Heaven."  ^ 


1  Correspondence,  p.  41. 

99 


PARADISE    STREET  [1839 

On  the  3d  of  February,  the  Sunday  before  the  lectures 
began,  Mr.  Martineau  preached  a  sermon  on  "  Peace  I  leave 
with  you,"  and  subsequently  gave  an  unwritten  address  to 
the  congregation,  announcing  his  intention  of  hearing  the 
Christ  Church  lectures,  and  exhorting  the  people  to  do  so 
too.  The  lectures  on  the  Trinitarian  side  were  delivered 
on  Wednesday  evenings,  and  occupied  the  hours  from  6.30 
till  1 1 ;  and  the  Unitarian  reply  was  given  on  the  following 
Tuesday.  The  excitement  was  so  great  that  the  three 
■  Unitarian  ministers  had  extreme  difficulty  in  getting  ad- 
mission to  the  opening  lecture.  Afterwards  they  occupied 
"  the  condemned  pew  "  which  was  reserved  for  them,  and 
bore,  says  Mr.  Martineau,  "  as  quietly  as  we  could  the 
declamatory  denunciation  or  the  whining  pity  showered 
upon  us,  amid  the  responsive  groans  of  the  pious  audience, 
by  the  energy  or  the  feebleness  of  the  preacher."  ^  The 
clergy  succeeded  in  keeping  away  their  own  people,  with 
few  exceptions,  from  the  Unitarian  rejoinders;  but  never- 
theless Paradise  Street  Chapel  was  crowded  during  the 
■earlier  lectures ;  and  though  the  attendance  afterwards  fell 
off,  it  still  exceeded  the  measure  of  a  good  Sunday  morn- 
ing's congregation. 

Of  the  thirteen  lectures  Mr.  IMartineau  delivered  five; 
and  with  these  alone  we  are  at  present  concerned.  The  first, 
delivered  on  Tuesday,  February  19,  was  entitled  "  The 
Bible:  what  it  is  and  what  it  is  not."  The  general  thesis 
of  the  lecture,  that  the  inspiration  of  the  authors  does  not 
guarantee  their  infallibility,  which  was  then  regarded  as 
blasphemous  heresy,  has  now  become  almost  a  commonplace 
of  theology;  and  it  is  unnecessary  to  follow  the  treatment 
in  detail.  But  one  or  two  points  may  be  selected  which  illus- 
trate the  history  of  Mr.  Martineau's  opinions.  He  arranges 
in  the  following  order  the  probabilities  in  behalf  of  the 
authenticity  (or,  as  we  now  commonly  say,  the  genuineness) 

1  From  the  letter  to  Wicksteed. 

100 


1839]         LIVERPOOL    CONTROVERSY 

of  the  several  books  of  the  New  Testament:  "  i.  The 
letters  of  St.  Paul  (excepting-  Hebrews)  occupy  the  highest 
station  of  evidence.  2.  The  remaining  letters,  excepting 
2  Peter  and  Hebrews  again,  I  should  place  next.  3.  The 
Gospel  of  St.  John  is  more  certainly  authentic  than  the 
other  three;  which,  however,  would  follow  in  the  4th 
place,  with  the  book  of  Acts.  And  the  list  will  be  closed  by 
5.  The  Apocalypse,  2  Peter,  and  the  Epistle  to  the  He- 
brews." ^  It  will  be  observed  how  widely  this  differs  from 
the  hypotheses  of  Baur,  which  at  a  later  period  affected  so 
deeply  Dr.  Martineau's  criticism.  He  fully  accepts  the 
reality  of  miracles,  but  assigns  them  a  different  place  from 
that  which  they  occupy  in  the  "  Evidences  of  Christianity." 
He  says :  "  Miracles  are  simply  awakening  facts :  de- 
manding and  securing  reverential  and  watchful  regard  to 
something,  or  to  everything,  in  the  parties  performing 
them ;  but  not  specifically  singling  out  any  portion  of  their 
doctrinal  ideas,  and  affording  them  infallible  proof."  ^  His 
view  of  Christ  is  described  in  a  passage  of  great  beauty. 
The  essential  parts  are  conveyed  in  the  following  sentences : 
"  These  writings  introduce  me  to  a  Being  so  unimagin- 
able, except  by  the  great  Inventor  of  beauty  and  Architect 
of  nature  himself,  that  I  embrace  him  at  once,  as  having  all 
the  reality  of  man  and  the  divinest  inspiration  of  God." 
"  It  is  the  very  spirit  of  Deity  visible  on  the  scale  of  hu- 
manity. The  colours  of  his  mind,  projected  on  the  surface 
of  Infinitude,  form  there  the  all-perfect  God."  ^  This  view 
is  presented  with  greater  explicitness  in  his  subsequent 
lecture,  "  The  Proposition  *  that  Christ  is  God,'  proved  to  be 
false  from  the  Jewish  and  the  Christian  Scriptures."  He 
says:  "  Christ  possessed  and  manifested  all  the  moral  attri- 
butes of  Deity."  These  were  "  compressed,  in  Christ, 
within  the  physical  and  intellectual  limits  of  humanity." 
Trinitarians  "  add  one  other  ingredient  to  the  conception, 

1  P.  14,  with  the  Errata  prefixed  to  Lecture  V.  '  P.  26.  »  P.  6-8. 

lOI 


PARADISE    STREET  [1839 

viz.,  that  he  possessed  the  pliyslcal  and  intellectual  attributes 
of  Deity ;  —  that  he  is  to  be  esteemed  no  less  eternal,  om- 
nipotent and  omnipresent,  than  the  Infinite  Father,"  —  an 
addition  which  the  Unitarian  believes  to  be  unwarranted.^ 
His  regard,  at  that  time,  for  the  Fourth  Gospel  receives 
further  illustration  in  this  lecture :  "  Let  us  turn  to  the 
Proem  of  St.  John's  Gospel;  that  most  venerable  and 
beautiful  of  all  the  delineations  which  Scripture  furnishes 
of  the  twofold  relation  of  Christ's  spirit,  to  the  Father  who 
gave  it  its  illumination,  and  to  the  brethren  who  were 
blessed  by  its  light."  - 

His  next  lecture,  the  sixth  in  the  series,  was  on  "  The 
Scheme  of  Vicarious  Redemption  Inconsistent  with  itself, 
and  with  the  Christian  Idea  of  Salvation."  This  was  so  ex- 
tended after  delivery  that  it  forms  a  treatise  on  the  doctrine 
of  atonement.  Perhaps  the  most  suggestive  part  is  where 
he  points  out  that  the  passages  supposed  to  teach  the  atoning 
efficacy  of  the  cross  do  not  appear  till  after  the  beginning 
of  the  Gentile  controversy.  Christ's  death  was  necessary 
in  order  to  change  him  from  a  Jewish  Messiah  into  a  uni- 
versal spirit,  and  thus  it  was  by  his  blood  that  the  Gentiles 
were  "  brought  nigh,"  and  justified.  Hence  it  is  that  the 
resurrection  is  dwelt  upon  much  more  than  the  death,  and 
that  the  former,  but  never  the  latter,  is  made  the  object  of 
faith.  The  Jews,  moreover,  were  not  unaffected,  for  Christ, 
through  his  death,  postponed  the  full  assumption  of  his 
Messianic  prerogative,  and  so  left  time  for  them  to  repent. 
In  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  Christ's  death  is  represented 
as  taking  the  place  of  the  Jewish  sacrifices,  serving  as  a  com- 
mutation for  the  Mosaic  law  and  atoning  once  for  all  for 
the  abandonment  of  its  ritual  precepts.^ 

The  next  lecture,  on  "The  Christian  View  of  Moral  Evil," 


1  P.  6.  2  p.  28  sq. 

'  This  lecture  is  reprinted,  but  without  the  notes,  in  "  Studies  of  Christian- 
ity," 1858. 

102 


1839]         LIVERPOOL    CONTROVERSY 

is  of  a  more  purely  philosophical  cast,  and  must  be  noticed 
elsewhere.  It  is  replete  with  moral  earnestness,  and  shows 
how  profoundly  Mr.  Martineau's  thought  and  life  were 
affected  by  the  revelations  of  conscience.  In  the  strictly 
theological  portion  he  considers  the  biblical  representations 
of  Satan,  and  views  the  demonology  of  the  Gospels,  not  as 
a  conscious  accommodation  to  error,  but  as  expressing  the 
writers'  sincere  adoption  of  current  ideas,  which  was  not 
overruled  by  their  inspiration.  His  general  conclusion  is 
that  moral  evil  is  not  the  instrument,  but  the  enemy  of  God ; 
and  if  we  still  ask,  "  Whence  this  foe?  "  no  answer  can  be 
given.  "  All  the  ingenuities  of  logic  and  of  language  leave 
it  a  mystery  still :  and  it  is  better  to  stand  within  the  dark- 
ness in  the  quietude  of  faith,  than  vainly  to  search  for  its 
margin  in  the  restlessness  of  knowledge." 

His  last  lecture,  delivered  on  the  14th  of  May,  on  "  Chris- 
tianity without  Priest,  and  without  Ritual,"  ^  closes  the 
series.  He  portrays  in  vivid  language  the  functions  of  the 
priest  and  the  prophet;  the  former  the  representative  of 
men  before  God,  the  great  magician  who  dispenses  a  system 
of  consecrated  charms ;  the  latter  "  the  representative  of 
God  before  men,  commissioned  from  the  Divine  nature  to 
sanctify  the  human,"  and  fulfilling  his  mission  only  "  when 
he  brings  the  finite  mind  and  the  infinite  into  immediate 
and  thrilling  contact,  and  leaves  the  creature  consciously 
alone  with  the  Creator."  He  then  proceeds  to  show  that  the 
Church  of  England  is  in  general  conformity  with  the  ritual 
or  sacerdotal  conception  of  religion,  and  that  Christianity 
in  its  origin  belongs  entirely  to  the  prophetic  type.  The 
lecture  concludes  with  some  general  remarks  on  the  contro- 
versy, which  had  now  reached  its  termination.  In  the  course 
of  these  remarks  the  following  account  is  given  of  the 
positive  teaching  of  Unitarians :    "  All  Unitarian  writers 


*  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity." 

103 


PARADISE    STREET  [1839 

maintain  the  Moral  Perfection  and  Fatherly  Providence 
of  the  Infinite  Ruler;  the  Messiahship  of  Jesus  Christ,  in 
whose  person  and  spirit  there  is  a  Revelation  of  God  and  a 
Sanctification  for  Man;  the  Responsibility  and  Retributive 
Immortality  of  men;  and  the  need  of  a  pure  and  devout 
heart  of  Faith,  as  the  source  of  all  outward  goodness  and 
inward  communion  with  God."  He  explains  the  refusal  of 
Unitarians  to  embody  their  sentiments  in  any  authoritative 
formula  in  words  which  express  the  abiding  conviction  of 
his  life :  "  The  peculiarity  has  had  its  origin  in  heredi- 
tary and  historical  associations ;  but  it  has  its  defence  in  the 
noblest  principles  of  religious  freedom  and  Christian  com- 
munion. At  present,  it  must  suffice  to  say,  that  our  societies 
are  dedicated,  not  to  theological  opinions,  but  to  religious 
worship ;  that  they  have  maintained  the  unity  of  the  spirit, 
without  insisting  on  any  union  of  doctrine;  that  Christian 
liberty,  love,  and  piety  are  their  essentials  in  perpetuity,  but 
their  Unitarianism  an  accident  of  a  few  or  many  generations, 
—  which  has  arisen,  and  might  vanish,  without  the  loss  of 
their  identity.  We  believe  in  the  mutability  of  religious 
systems,  but  the  imperishable  character  of  the  religious 
affections ;  in  the  progressiveness  of  opinion  within,  as 
well  as  without,  the  limits  of  Christianity.  Our  forefathers 
cherished  the  same  conviction;  and  so,  not  having  been 
born  intellectual  bondsmen,  we  desire  to  leave  our  successors 
free.  Convinced  that  uniformity  of  doctrine  can  never 
prevail,  we  seek  to  attain  its  only  good  —  peace  on  earth 
and  communion  with  Heaven  —  without  it.  We  aim  to 
make  a  true  Christendom,  —  a  commonwealth  of  the  faith- 
ful, —  by  the  binding  force,  not  of  ecclesiastical  creeds,  but 
of  spiritual  wants  and  Christian  sympathies;  and  indulge 
the  vision  of  a  Church  that  '  in  the  latter  days  shall  arise,* 
like  *  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,'  bearing  on  its  ascent  the 
blossoms  of  thought  proper  to  every  intellectual  clime, 
and  withal  massively  rooted  in  the  deep  places  of  our  hu- 

104 


1839]        LIVERPOOL    CONTROVERSY 

manity,  and  gladly  rising  to  meet  the  sunshine  from  on 
high."  ' 

The  lectures  which  have  been  thus  briefly  described  rose 
far  above  the  ordinary  level  of  controversial  pamphlets, 
and  are  serious  contributions  to  the  subjects  of  which  they 
treat.  They  were  produced  with  great  rapidity  in  the  midst 
of  pressing  engagements  which  would  have  sufficiently  taxed 
the  strength  of  ordinary  men ;  but  there  is  no  sign  of  this 
in  their  composition.  There  are  passages  marked  by  great 
splendour  of  language ;  the  thought  is  always  clear  and  for- 
cible, and  the  learning  adequate;  and  above  all,  there  is  a 
moral  and  spiritual  fervour  which  shows  how  the  writer 
was  possessed  by  the  greatness  of  his  themes,  and,  in  spite 
of  not  a  little  provocation,  there  is  always  a  dignified  cour- 
tesy towards  his  opponents.  Whether  the  thirteen  clergy- 
men ever  had  the  smallest  perception  of  the  mental  and 
spiritual  stature  of  the  men  they  were  attacking  does  not 
appear;  but  there  is  one  little  incident  which  it  is  pleas- 
ant to  record.  Mr,  Martineau,  in  the  second  lecture,  had 
charged  Archbishop  Magee  with  "  a  mass  of  abuse  the  most 
coarse,  and  misrepresentation  the  most  black."  This  was 
described  by  Dr.  Byrth  as  "an  outrage  on  the  memory  of 
departed  greatness  " ;  and  accordingly  Mr.  Martineau,  in 
a  note  to  the  sixth  lecture,  produced  the  evidence  which 
justified  his  statement.  The  result  was  that  Dr.  Byrth 
wrote  a  private  letter  in  which  he  said  that  if  any  expressions 
of  his  at  all  resembled  those  which  had  been  quoted  from 
Magee's  book,  he  "  could  wish  them  obliterated  by  tears 
of  contrition,"  and  he  promised  to  take  an  opportunity  of 
publicly  declaring  his  disapproval  of  the  Archbishop's  style 
of  controversy.  Further  friendly  letters  were  exchanged ; 
and  Dr.  Byrth  presented  Mr.  Martineau  with  a  fine  copy  of 
Gerard's  (sic.  ?  Gerhard's)  edition  of  the  Greek  Testament, 


1  The  whole  series  of  lectures  was  reissued  in  their  original  form  by  the 
British  and  Foreign  Unitarian  Association  in  1876. 

105 


PARADISE    STREET  [.839 

with  the  autographs  in  it  of  Newcome  Cappe  and  his 
wife.i 

In  July  of  tlie  same  year  he  received  tidings  of  the  severe 
and  sudden  ilhiess  of  his  sister  Harriet  in  Italy  or  Switzer- 
land, and  he  and  his  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Alfred  Higginson, 
immediately  started  in  search  of  her.  Their  anxiety  was 
soon  relieved  by  a  letter  from  a  friend,  reporting  a  vast 
improvement;  and  after  a  short  absence  on  the  continent 
they  were  able  to  return  with  her  to  England,  and  send  her 
safely  on  her  journey  to  Newcastle. 

On  the  I  St  of  September,  1839,  Mr.  Martineau  preached 
a  sermon,  entitled  "  The  Outer  and  the  Inner  Temple,"  ^ 
at  the  opening  of  Upper  Brook  Street  Chapel,  Manchester, 
where  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Tayler,  who  was  afterwards  for  many 
years  his  revered  friend  and  colleague,  was  minister.  This 
sermon,  besides  the  intrinsic  beauty  of  its  spiritual  pleading, 
contains  ideas  which  are  interesting  in  relation  to  his  later 
views.  He  pronounces,  as  the  keynote  of  his  thought, 
*'  this  is  a  Church  of  God's  Messiah  " ;  and  he  proceeds  to 
show  that  there  are  two  conceptions  of  the  Messiah,  God's 
and  man's,  which  are  perpetually  coming  into  collision. 
"  We  all  believe  that,  at  the  birth  of  Christianity,  Heaven's 
great  Messiah  actually  came."  In  opposition  to  Jewish 
expectations  "  the  great  Father  rebukes  every  plan  of 
partial  and  exclusive  deliverance,"  and  "  the  cross,  which 
was  to  disown  him  [Jesus]  as  the  Messiah  of  Jerusalem, 
made  him  the  Messiah  of  mankind."  Accordingly  the 
church  must  be  dedicated  "  to  an  impartial  Messiah,  and  a 
universal  Gospel,"  and  "  the  objects  which  should  be 
loved  "  must  "  for  ever  transcend  the  notions  that  should 
be  thought."  Yet  worship  would  be  conformed  to  a  defi- 
nite system  of  belief,  and  "  it  is  impossible  to  be  impressed 
with  the  Personal  Unity,  the  Moral  Perfection,  the  Univer- 

1  From  a  letter  of  Martineau's  to  Rev.  C.  Wicksteed,  Nov.  20,  1876. 

2  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

106 


1840]  APPOINTED    PROFESSOR 

sal  Paternity  of  God;  to  recognise  Christ  as  morally  though 
not  physically  Divine;  to  feel  the  personal  nature  of  sin 
and  holiness,  alienable  by  no  transfer,  and  attainable  by  no 
miracle;  to  see  in  prospect,  however  distant,  the  guilt  and 
suffering  of  men  worn  out,  and  every  wanderer  gathered 
back  into  the  divine  embrace ;  without  desiring  to  supplant 
with  these  great  ideas  the  harsher  and  more  repulsive 
conceptions  endeared  by  ecclesiastical  tradition."  Never- 
theless "  we  look  with  unaffected  veneration  on  every  mode 
of  Christian  belief,  and  are  persuaded  that  no  soul  that 
makes  faithful  use  of  any,  shall  die  from  dearth  of  the  daily 
bread  of  life."  But  we  hope  for  unity  at  last,  "  a  unity, 
however,  more  deep-seated  and  affectionate  than  that  of 
mere  opinion ;  a  unity  of  allegiance  to  one  Father,  and  toil 
for  one  Brotherhood,  and  reverence  for  one  law  of  Duty, 
and  aspiration  for  one  home  in  Heaven;  the  universal 
church  of  good  and  faithful  souls,  adorning  God's  provi- 
dence with  varieties  of  thought,  and  strengthening  it  by 
consentaneousness  of  love." 

Early  on  the  13th  of  September  another  son  was  born; 
and  the  happy  father  says  in  a  letter :  *'  The  baby  is  reported 
to  be  a  famous  fellow  in  point  of  size ;  and  by  his  strength 
of  lungs  he  appears  to  be  a  candidate  for  the  pulpit."  These 
infantine  aspirations,  however,  were  not  retained. 

A  change  was  now  at  hand  which  was  to  have  an  impor- 
tant bearing  on  the  rest  of  Mr.  Martineau's  life.  In  1828 
University  College,  or,  as  it  was  at  first  called,  the  Univer- 
sity of  London,  was  opened  in  order  to  provide  the  highest 
education  without  imposing  a  test  of  religious  opinions. 
In  1834  it  sought  for  the  privilege  of  granting  degrees ;  and 
this  application  led  to  the  institution  of  the  existing  Uni- 
versity of  London  as  an  examining  body,  with  power  to 
grant  degrees  to  candidates  who  had  studied  in  affiliated 
colleges,  not  necessarily  situated  in  London.  The  advan- 
tages thus  conferred  upon  Dissenters  naturally  attracted 

107 


PARADISE    STREET  [1840 

young-  laymen  away  from  York;  and  for  some  years 
before  the  time  which  we  have  reached  there  was  a  wide 
and  growing  dissatisfaction,  not  indeed  with  the  admirable 
men  who  directed  the  studies  at  Manchester  New  College, 
but  with  the  inevitable  seclusion  of  students  for  the  ministry, 
the  want  of  association  and  competition  with  men  training 
for  other  professions,  and  the  narrowness  of  their  social 
circle,  which  tended  to  cramp  their  minds  and  deaden  their 
aspirations.  Things  were  thus  ripe  for  change  when  Mr. 
Kenrick,  who  was  suffering  from  a  weakness  in  his  eyes, 
sent  in  his  resignation.  On  the  4th  of  April,  1838,  the  gen- 
eral Committee  of  the  College  appointed  a  sub-committee 
to  make  inquiries  respecting  the  course  to  be  adopted.  A 
circular  was  prepared,  and  opinions  confidentially  invited 
as  to  three  plans  which  presented  themselves:  i.  Remaining 
at  York;  2.  Removing  to  Manchester;  3,  Establishing  a 
chair  or  chairs  of  theology  in  London,  and  sending  the  stu- 
dents to  University  College  for  their  arts  course.  The  first 
was  almost  universally,  and  without  hesitation,  rejected,  as 
quite  unsuited  to  existing  requirements.  In  favour  of  the 
third  scheme  there  were  very  weighty  opinions,  expressed 
in  a  broad,  and  what  may  be  called  a  statesmanlike  spirit. 
The  Rev.  J.  J.  Tayler,  one  of  the  secretaries  of  the  College, 
was  strongly  in  favour  of  a  removal  to  London.  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau,  who  was  Mr.  Tayler's  colleague  in  the  secretaryship 
from  1839  to  1840,  supported  the  Manchester  scheme.  His 
reasons  may  be  quoted  from  a  letter  to  Mr.  Edgar  Taylor, 
dated  Jan.  19,  1839:  — 

"  You  cannot  wonder  that  our  friends  in  the  North  require 
a  strong  case  of  expediency,  to  reconcile  them  to  the  removal 
from  among  them  of  a  College,  which,  in  one  form  or  other, 
has  always  existed  in  this  neighbourhood ;  which  has  all  its 
property  in  Yorkshire  and  Lancashire;  and  derives  by  far 
the  greater  part  of  its  support  from  these  and  the  adjoining 
counties.  Is  it  altogether  a  local  prejudice  which  leads  them 
to  imagine,  that  in  these  manufacturing  and  commercial  parts, 

108 


1840]  APPOINTED    PROFESSOR 

the  true  Non-con.  spirit  maintains  itself  in  greater  vigour 
than  in  London,  and  connects  itself  naturally  with  the  qualities 
which  raise  men  to  influence  in  such  towns  as  Manchester 
and  Liverpool?  It  has  always  appeared  to  me,  that  our  body 
in  London  exists  in  a  somewhat  disorganised  state,  and  is 
composed  largely  of  accidental  elements,  contributed  mainly 
by  the  country ;  that  the  most  able  and  judicious,  as  well 
as  opulent,  of  its  members,  are  not  those  into  whose  hands 
the  control  of  its  ecclesiastical  affairs  is  likely  to  fall;  and 
that  the  sacrifice  of  money  and  time,  requisite  for  the  ener- 
getic maintenance  of  voluntary  institutions,  are  necessarily 
more  foreign  to  London  than  to  provincial  habits.  I  say 
this  without  the  slightest  hint  of  reproach.  The  difference 
arises  from  permanently  different  states  of  society :  if  it  did 
not,  but  were  the  fault  of  persons,  it  would  be  of  no  weight 
in  the  present  argument;  as  zvith  the  persons  it  would  pass 
away. 

"  Calculations  of  expense  too,  which  have  been  carefully 
made,  present  great  difficulties  in  the  way  of  a  removal  to  Lon- 
don. .  .  .  But  none  of  these  considerations  would  have  much 
weight,  if  London  were  the  only  place,  where  candidates  could 
be  prepared  for  the  degrees  of  the  London  University.  It 
is  conceived,  however,  that  the  College  could  obtain  from  the 
Privy  Council  the  privilege  of  sending  its  students  up  to  the 
University  examinations.  With  this  advantage,  and  with  a 
disinterested  avoidance  of  everything  sectarian  in  the  ap- 
pointment to  the  non-theological  chairs,  it  is  thought  that  the 
academy  might  even  become  an  object  of  general  resort,  as 
a  Provincial  College. 

"  These  reasons  have  induced  me  to  think  less  favourably 
of  the  London  scheme,  than  I  did  on  a  first  view  of  the  case." 

For  several  months  a  special  committee  sat  in  London  to 
assist  the  deliberations  of  the  regular  committee  in  Man- 
chester ;  and  finally  an  address  was  issued  giving  a  summary 
of  the  merits  of  the  only  two  schemes  which  invited  serious 
attention,  and  asking  for  an  expression  of  opinion  on  the 
pending  question.  The  decisive  meetings  were  held  in 
Cross  Street  Chapel  Rooms,  Manchester,  on  Thursday  and 
Friday,  the  19th  and  20th  of  December,  1839,  when  a 
majority  of  two  voted  in  favour  of  a  removal  to  Manchester. 
The  written  opinions  of  the  supporters  of  the  College,  how- 

109 


PARADISE    STREET  [1840 

ever,  added  greatly  to  the  weight  of  this  small  majority, 
as  they  advocated  the  same  conclusion  in  the  proportion  of 
more  than  two  to  one. 

On  the  13th  of  July,  1839,  Mr.  G.  W.  Wood,  M.P.  for 
Kendal,  had  been  able  to  report,  in  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Mar- 
tineau,  that  he  had  that  morning  spoken  to  Lord  John 
Russell  on  the  subject  of  the  affiliation  of  the  College  to  the 
University  of  London ;  that  the  suggestion  was  favourably 
received,  and  the  open  constitution  of  the  College  regarded 
with  approval.  A  Memorial  was  prepared  and  numerously 
signed  by  supporters  of  the  College,  "  praying  that  Her 
Majesty  would  be  graciously  pleased  to  connect  Manchester 
New  College  with  the  University  of  London  " ;  and  on  the 
2 1  St  of  January,  1840,  this  was  presented  by  seven  members 
of  Parliament  through  the  Marquis  of  Normanby,  Secre- 
tary of  State  for  the  Home  Department.  The  petition  was 
granted,  and  the  Royal  Warrant  was  signed  on  the  28th  of 
February.  The  way  was  thus  prepared  for  enlarging  the 
scope  of  the  College,  and  making  it  a  centre  of  higher  edu- 
cation for  the  Manchester  district.  The  theological  chairs 
were  as  little  pledged  to  foregone  conclusions  as  any  of 
the  others ;  but  as  the  very  fact  of  their  impartiality  might 
seem  to  give  them  a  denominational  tinge,  the  theological 
department  was  kept  strictly  separate  from  that  of  the  arts 
and  science,  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  latter  would  receive 
general  support,  and  secure  for  the  College  a  higher  and 
more  public  position  than  it  had  hitherto  succeeded  in  occu- 
pying.^ The  committee  acquired  a  commodious  house, 
which  had  formerly  been  the  property  and  residence  of  a 
leading  Presbyterian  family  of  Marslands.  This  house 
stood  in  Grosvenor  Square,  at  the  corner  of  Stretford  New 
Road  (then  Cavendish  Street),  and,  being  a  fine  old  man- 
sion, with  good  rooms  on  two  floors,  as  well  as  a  concert 

1  The  foregoing  account  is  drawn  from  numerous  letters  and  documents  of 
the  time. 

110 


I840]  APPOINTED    PROFESSOR 

or  ball-room,  afforded  ample  provision  for  the  library,  and 
for  professors'  and  students'  rooms,  as  well  as  class-rooms 
and  a  common  hall.  It  was  not  designed  for  residence ;  and 
the  students  who  had  not  their  homes  in  Manchester  lived 
in  lodgings  of  their  own  selection.  The  house  is  still  there, 
and  contains  the  city  offices  of  one  of  the  great  Poor  Law 
Unions. 

The  College  was  opened  in  October,  1840,  with  a  staff  of 
eight  professors,  and  a  lecturer  on  the  French  language  and 
literature.  As  more  intimately  connected  with  the  subject 
of  this  memoir  may  be  named  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Tayler,  Pro- 
fessor of  Ecclesiastical  History,  and  Mr.  F.  W.  Newman, 
Professor  of  the  Greek,  Latin,  and  English  languages. 
Mr.  Martineau  himself  was  appointed  Professor  of  Mental 
and  Moral  Philosophy  and  Political  Economy.  This  ap- 
pointment, while  enabling  him  to  relinquish  most  of  his 
private  classes,  did  not  require  his  presence  in  Manchester 
more  than  once  a  week,^  when,  on  Wednesday  afternoons, 
he  delivered  two  or  three  consecutive  lectures.  There  was 
indeed  one  disadvantage  in  this  arrangement;  it  limited 
the  intercourse  between  the  professor  and  his  students,  and 
practically  restricted  his  efforts  to  the  reading  of  an  elabo- 
rately written  exposition  of  philosophical  problems.  He 
gave  his  public  inaugural  lecture  on  Wednesday,  the  7th 
of  October.  In  the  volume  of  *'  Introductory  Lectures," 
published  at  the  time,  this  lecture  is  without  a  descriptive 
title ;  but  in  the  reprint  in  the  fourth  volume  of  the  Essays 
Dr.  Martineau  has  called  it  "  Scope  of  Mental  and  Moral 
Philosophy,"  and  these  words  may  sufficiently  indicate  its 
subject.  In  a  letter  written  to  Mr.  Martineau  on  the  21st 
of  May,  1841,  Mr.  J.  S.  Mill,  in  acknowledging  the  volume 
of  opening  lectures,  indulged  "the  happiest  forebodings"  of 
the  work  of  the  institution,  from  the  soundness  of  its  fun- 


1  The  Biographical  Memoranda  say  "two  days  in  the  week,"  but  a  con- 
temporary letter  shows  that  his  memory  was  at  fault. 

Ill 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

damental  principles  and  the  qualifications  of  its  profes- 
sors. He  offered  to  ensure  insertion  in  the  "  Westminster 
Review  "  for  any  article  which  Mr.  Martineau  might  write 
in  exposition  and  vindication  of  the  principle  of  free  teach- 
ing and  free  learning,  of  which  Manchester  New  College 
was  the  unique  representative.  It  may  be  added  that  the 
first  session  gave  good  promise  of  success,  eleven  divinity 
and  seventeen  lay  students  having  entered. 

The  excitement  of  controversy,  and  regard  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  College,  had  not  deadened  Mr.  Martineau's  early 
interest  in  the  hymns  to  be  used  in  worship.  The  preface  of 
the  first  edition  of  "  Hymns  for  the  Christian  Church  and 
Home"  is  dated  June  20,  1840,  and  the  book  was  intro- 
duced into  his  own  Chapel  on  the  ist  of  November  in  the 
same  year.  On  this  occasion  he  delivered  a  sermon  on  "  The 
Communion  of  Saints,"  which  is  printed  in  the  first  volume 
of  the  "Endeavours  after  the  Christian  Life."  The  keynote 
of  the  preface  is  struck  in  the  opening  words :  "  Worship 
is  an  attitude  which  our  nature  assumes,  not  for  a  pur- 
pose, but  from  an  emotion  " ;  and  this  idea  is  opposed  to  the 
utilitarian,  whether  in  its  sacerdotal  or  its  rationalistic  form. 
He  wished  every  hymn  to  be  referred  to  a  suitable  tune, 
and,  according  to  the  recollection  of  one  of  his  daughters, 
he  went  regularly  through  the  book  with  his  young  son 
Russell,  who  played  the  tunes,  while  he  himself  sang  the 
hymns,  and  so  decided  on  the  suitability  of  the  music.  The 
volume  met  a  widely  felt  want,  and  in  the  course  of  years 
appeared  in  several  editions,  and  in  different  sizes  adapted 
to  different  tastes ;  but  its  success  at  first  was  not  rapid,  for 
on  March  10,  1843,  there  is  a  note  recording  a  loss  of  up- 
wards of  £50  by  the  hymn  book. 

Early  in  1841  he  completed  a  series  of  ten  sermons  on 
St.  Paul.  A  wish  was  expressed  for  their  publication;  but 
that  was  refused  for  the  time,  as  he  was  contemplating  the 
early  issue  of  a  mixed  volume.     Towards  the  close  of 

112 


I84I]        «'FIVE  POINTS  OF  FAITH" 

the  year  he  announced  his  intention  of  supplementing  the 
"  Rationale "  by  treating,  on  alternate  Sundays,  of  the 
question,  "  What  is  Christianity?"  This  treatment  formed 
part  of  his  original  plan,  and  was  still  in  view  when  he  pub- 
lished the  first  volume  of  the  "  Endeavours."  His  admirers 
must  regret  that,  in  spite  of  his  own  "  sense  of  their  inade- 
quacy," these  two  sets  of  sermons  have  never  seen  the 
light.  Some  account  of  the  sermons  on  Paul  will  be  given 
presently. 

A  very  interesting  essay  was  published,  in  the  "  Christian 
Teacher,"  ^  in  the  course  of  the  year,  entitled  "  Five  Points 
of  Christian  Faith."  ^  The  object  of  the  essay,  which  is 
somewhat  polemical  in  tone,  is  to  relieve  the  anxiety  occa- 
sioned by  the  unbelief  of  the  time,  and  by  the  "  impending 
revolution  in  the  forms  of  Christian  faith  " ;  and  with  this 
view  it  aims  at  showing  "  what  principles  of  religion  in 
general,  and  of  Christianity  in  particular,  may  be  pro- 
nounced safe  from  the  shocks  of  doubt."  The  outline  of 
Christian  truths  thus  traced  is  simply  "  Unitarian  Chris- 
tianity, .  .  .  exhibiting  both  its  characteristic  faiths, 
and  something  of  the  modes  of  thought  by  which  they 
are  reached."  His  own  summary  of  the  results  may  be 
quoted :  "  Here,  then,  are  our  Five  Points  of  Christianity, 
considered  as  a  system  of  positive  religious  doctrine,  viz. : 
1st.  The  truth  of  the  Moral  Perceptions  in  man,  —  not,  as 
the  degenerate  churches  of  our  day  teach,  their  pravity 
and  blindness ;  2dly.  The  Moral  Perfection  of  the  character 
of  God,  —  in  opposition  to  the  doctrine  of  his  Arbitrary 
Decrees  and  Absolute  Self-will;  3dly.  The  Natural  awak- 
ening of  the  Divine  Spirit  within  us,  —  rather  than  its 
Preternatural  communication  from  without;  4thly.  Christ, 
the  pure  Image  and  highest  Revelation  of  the  Eternal 
Father,  —  not  his  Victim  and  his  Contrast;    5thly.  A  uni- 


^  Vol.  1 1 1,  New  Series,  p.  444  sag. 

2  Reprinted  iii  "  Studies  of  Christianity." 

8  113 


PARADISE    STREET  [1843 

versal  Immortality  after  the  model  of  Christ's  heavenly 
life;  an  immortality  not  of  capricious  and  select  salvation, 
with  unimaginable  torment  as  the  general  lot,  but,  for  all, 
a  life  of  spiritual  development,  of  retribution,  of  restora- 
tion," As  indicating  the  sources  of  Mr.  Martineau's  own 
faith  the  following  passages  are  significant :  "  It  is  far 
from  being  the  clear  and  acute  intellect,  but  rather  the  pure 
and  transparent  heart,  that  best  discerns  God  " ;  "  the  In- 
tellect alone,  like  the  telescope  waiting  for  an  observer,  is 
quite  blind  to  the  celestial  things  above  it."  But  while  he 
had  the  profoundest  belief  in  the  conscience  and  moral 
affections  as  the  "  only  internal  revealers "  of  God,  he 
accepted  Christ  as  *'  his  perfect  and  transcendant  outward 
revelation,"  because  "  Christ,  standing  in  solitary  greatness, 
and  invested  with  unapproachable  sanctity,  opens  at  once 
the  eye  of  conscience  to  perceive  and  know  the  pure  and 
holy  God,  the  Father  that  dwelt  in  him  and  made  him  so 
full  of  truth  and  grace."  His  view  of  the  authority  of 
Christ's  teaching  is  thus  stated:  —  the  knowledge  of  God 
"  which  any  mind  (be  it  of  man  or  of  angel)  may  possess, 
is  just  proportioned  to  its  sanctity :  and  our  Messiah,  having 
the  very  highest  sanctity,  was  enabled  to  speak  with  the 
highest  and  most  authoritative  knowledge,  and  was  inspired 
to  be  our  infallible  guide,  not  perhaps  in  trivial  questions 
of  literary  interpretation,  or  scientific  fact,  or  historical 
expectation,  but  in  all  the  deep  and  solemn  relations  on 
which  our  sanctification  and  immortal  blessedness  depend." 
In  the  summer  of  1842  another  little  daughter  was  added 
to  the  household.  This  event  furnishes  a  good  opportunity 
for  presenting  a  charming  family  picture  sketched  by  the 
pen  of  Mrs.  Martineau.  It  occurs  in  a  letter  written  the 
following  Good  Friday,  April  14,  1843:  "  Mr.  Thom  has 
done  me  a  world  of  good  to-day  by  a  beautiful  Good  Friday 
sermon  on  Gethsemane,  —  Christ  over  his  sleeping  disciples, 
with  his  yearning  heart  and  surrendered  will  and  his  oneness 

114 


1843]  "ENDEAVOURS" 

with  God !  I  love  these  occasional  services  and  these  Chris- 
tian festival  days  more  and  more  intensely  the  older  I  grow. 
Never  did  I  think  the  whole  story  more  divine  than  in  telling 
it  to  my  four  to-night,  —  to  my  poor  Herbert  for  the  first 
time :  and,  as  Isabella  said  to  me,  '  Mamma,  reading  the 
New  Testament  is  not  like  anything  else  that  one  reads,  for 
we  always  find  something  new,  and  are  never  tired  of  it.' 
Oh,  for  a  picture  of  Herbert's  little  changing  face  as  he 
heard  for  the  first  time  the  tale  of  the  crucifixion.  It  in- 
spired me  to  tell  it  better,  I  think,  than  I  ever  did  before; 
and  he  went  to  bed  in  a  delicious  agitation  which  I  envied 
from  my  soul." 

At  this  time  Mrs.  Martineau's  hands  were  full  of  extra 
work,  sending  out  seven  hundred  circulars  announcing  the 
"  Endeavours,"  and  copying  the  sermons  for  the  press. 
The  volume,  which  has  since  taken  its  place  as  an  English 
classic  in  homiletic  literature,  appeared  in  the  summer.  The 
preface,  which  is  dated  June  20,  1843,  explains  briefly  the 
reasons  for  withholding  the  discourses  on  the  question 
"  What  is  Christianity  ?  "  which  he  had  in  contemplation 
when  he  published  the  "  Rationale."  He  was  influenced 
partly  by  a  change  in  some  of  his  views,  and  the  conscious- 
ness of  immaturity  in  others,  but  chiefly  by  a  desire  to  lay 
aside  for  a  while  the  polemical  character  which  necessity 
had  impressed  on  his  former  writings,  and  which  misrepre- 
sented the  order  of  his  convictions,  "  engaging  him  upon 
the  outward  form  of  Christian  belief,  while  silent  of  the 
inner  heart  of  human  life  and  faith."  At  the  same  time  he 
held  out  hopes  of  a  second  volume  devoted  especially  "  to 
the  Divine  Ministry  of  Christ,"  and  a  third  on  the  Christi- 
anity of  Paul.  It  is  not  necessary  to  attempt  any  descrip- 
tion of  sermons  which  have  found  their  way  into  so  many 
hearts.  They  must  hold  their  place  so  long  as  there  are 
men  who  can  look  beyond  the  trappings  into  the  secret  soul 
of  religion,  and  who  can  appreciate  nobility  of  thought 

115 


PARADISE    STREET  [1845 

expressed  in  noble  language,  fervour  of  sentiment,  depth 
of  spiritual  insight,  and  humble  aspiration  after  perfect 
communion  with  God. 

He  spent  his  next  vacation  at  Rivington;  and  we  now 
hear  of  his  "  resolute  total  abstinence,"  which  he  had 
adopted  "  as  a  provisional  instrument  for  the  arrest  of 
most  serious  social  evils."  While  we  are  referring  to  this 
su])ject,  we  may  so  far  anticipate  as  to  notice  a  speech  which 
he  delivered  at  Patricroft  in  1845,  under  the  chairmanship 
of  Mr,  Holbrook  Gaskell.  He  thought  teetotalers  mani- 
fested a  "  superstitious  abhorrence  "  towards  the  substance 
alcohol,  "  instead  of  directing  that  abhorrence  towards  the 
moral  vice  in  the  mind  of  the  drinker."  But  as  a  cure  for 
enormous  evils  total  abstinence  was  necessary,  and  for  many 
years  he  had  adopted  the  practice  in  his  own  person  and  fam- 
ily. Though  the  physiological  effects  of  alcohol  were  exag- 
gerated, he  fully  believed  that  its  use  was  mischievous  rather 
than  beneficial.  He  believed  it  was  the  proper  and  true 
course  for  everyone  to  abstain  entirely,  for  the  sake  of  those 
to  whom  it  proved  too  strong  a  temptation.  It  was  a  little 
sacrifice;  for  "persons  would  be  better  in  health,  clearer 
in  mind,  and  almost  all  the  functions  of  life,  on  which 
physical  enjoyment  depends,  would  go  on  as  well  or  better." 
But  he  did  not  like  the  pledge;  and  he  thought  it  of  the 
utmost  consequence,  in  drawing  men  from  vicious  pleasures, 
to  provide  that  refreshment  which  man  requires,  and  com- 
bine plans  of  amusement  and  instruction.^  It  may  be  men- 
tioned here  that  throughout  his  life  he  was  a  non-smoker, 
and  was  so  sensitive  to  the  fumes  of  tobacco  that  he  ex- 
perienced serious  discomfort  if  he  was  in  a  room  where 
others  were  smoking. 


^  The  speech  was  reported  at  considerable  length  in  the  "  Truthseeker 
Temperance  Advocate,"  from  which  it  was  reproduced  in  "The  Inquirer," 
1895,  p.  276.  My  attention  was  called  to  this  by  the  Rev.  W.  Harrison,  of 
Stalybridge.  —  J.  D. 

116 


1844]  THEODORE    PARKER 

On  Tuesday,  the  13th  of  August,  1844,  the  family  re- 
moved to  a  new  house  in  Prince's  Park.  This  was  in  con- 
templation as  early  as  April  in  the  previous  year.  Mr. 
Richard  Yates  had  projected  the  Park,  and,  on  the  refusal 
of  the  Corporation  to  take  the  responsibility,  purchased  the 
land  himself.  Here  Mr.  Martineau  was  induced  to  buy  a 
plot  of  land,  and  to  build  a  house,  which  he  named  Park 
Nook.  The  money  required  for  the  building  was  kindly 
advanced  by  his  friends  the  Misses  Yates,  to  be  repaid  as 
convenient,  and  secured  upon  the  house.  Before  the  end 
of  August  a  contract  was  finally  settled,  and  the  excavations 
begun. 

"  The  planning  and  progress  of  the  scheme  was,"  says 
Mr.  Martineau,  ''  a  constant  source  of  interest  and  amusement 
in  the  family  for  upwards  of  a  year ;  especially  as  the  rapid 
slope  of  the  ground  involved  a  terrace-garden,  and  a  story 
more  behind  than  before,  and  a  mysterious  tunnel-passage 
from  the  back  door,  and  other  first  rate  provisions  for  '  hide- 
and-seek,'  Hither  we  removed  in  1845  [this  is  a  mistake  for 
1844]  :  and  though  the  increased  distance  from  town  was 
sometimes  inconvenient,  the  ampler  space,  the  perfect  quiet, 
the  pure  air,  the  outlook  on  grass  and  foliage  and  flowers,  and 
the  vicinity  of  some  of  our  best  friends,  especially  the  good 
sisters  Yates  of  Farmfield,  far  outweighed  in  benefit  the  added 
tax  upon  time  and  exertion."  ^ 

The  change  to  better  air  must  have  been  all  the  more 
delightful,  as  the  removal  was  preceded  by  "  an  unrefresh- 
ing  and  even  depressing  holiday  period,"  which  left  him 
but  poorly  at  the  end. 

Among  the  earliest  visitors  at  the  new  house  was  Theo- 
dore Parker,  whose  heresies  at  that  time  were  regarded  with 
horror  by  a  large  number  of  Unitarians.  Nevertheless  he 
preached  on  the  i8th  of  August  for  Mr.  Martineau,  who, 
however,  was  prevented  from  hearing  him  owing  to  his 
own  absence  in  Leeds.     This  statement  is  taken  from  a 

»  Bi.  Mem, 

117 


PARADISE    STREET  [X844-X846 

letter  written  that  very  day  by  Mrs.  Martineau,  and  it  is 
connected  with  a  curious  instance  of  erroneous  memory 
which,  for  its  psychological  interest  is  worth  recording.  In 
1876  a  question  was  raised  as  to  the  reception  of  Theodore 
Parker  by  Unitarians,  and  some  correspondence  was  printed 
about  it  in  "  The  Inquirer."  On  December  29  Dr.  Mar- 
tineau wrote :  "  On  one  insignificant  point  my  '  distinct 
recollection  '  respecting  Theodore  Parker's  Sunday  in  Liver- 
pool does  not  agree  with  my  friend  Mr.  Thom's.  I  was  not 
absent  from  home,  but  attended  the  morning  service  at 
Paradise  Street  Chapel.  Parker's  preaching  left  its  vivid 
image  in  my  memory,  and  I  had  no  other  opportunity  of 
hearing  him."  A  friend  convinced  him  of  his  mistake,  and 
a  few  days  later,  January  3,  he  wrote :  "  It  is  due  to  my 
friend,  Mr.  Thom,  that,  having  discovered  the  superior 
accuracy  of  his  memory,  I  should  retract  my  letter  of  last 
week,  and  confirm,  in  full,  his  account  of  Theodore  Parker's 
Sunday  in  Liverpool.  ...  I  cannot  have  been  in  Liverpool 
on  that  day;  and  if,  as  I  believe,  it  was  the  25th  August, 
I  find  that  I  must  have  been  at  Chester  for  both  morning 
and  evening  service.  For  the  lively  image  that  I  have  of 
Parker's  preaching  I  can  account  only  by  supposing  that 
I  constructed  it  from  descriptions  given  me  by  my  friends, 
interpreted  by  my  personal  knowledge  of  the  man ;  unless, 
indeed,  he  preached  for  me  twice  —  on  his  arrival  in  1843, 
as  well  as  on  his  way  home  in  1844  —  and  I  have  no  trace  of 
such  earlier  visit.  My  error  shows,  by  a  new  instance,  how 
difficult  it  is  to  prevent  imagination  going  shares  with 
memory  in  the  production  of  history." 

It  is  now  necessary  to  touch  upon  a  painful  subject,  which 
one  would  willingly  pass  over  if  it  had  not  already  become 
public  property.  It  is  well  known  that  Miss  Harriet  Mar- 
tineau, who  had  "  adored  "  her  brother  James,  was  in  her 
later  life  alienated  from  him ;  and  it  has  been  generally 
supposed  that  this  estrangement  was  altogether  caused  by 

118 


I844-I846]    PUS    SISTER'S    ALIENATION 

a  review  of  the  "  Letters  on  the  Laws  of  Man's  Nature  and 
Development,"  by  Henry  George  Atkinson  and  Harriet 
Martineau,  which  was  pubHshed  in  185 1.  But  private  cor- 
respondence shows  that  its  beginning  is  of  much  older  date. 
As  far  back  as  November,  1844,  Mrs.  Martineau  "  confesses 
herself  too  deeply  distressed  by  Harriet's  present  state  of 
mind  to  be  willing  to  write  about  it  "  ;  and  in  the  following 
January  speaks  with  indignation  of  her  "  whole  demeanour 
towards  us  since  the  correspondence-mandate  was  issued 
and  disobeyed."  The  reference  in  these  words  requires 
some  explanation.  Miss  Martineau  had  the  gravest  objec- 
tion to  the  publication  of  private  correspondence,  which  she 
regarded  as  a  violation  of  holy  confidence.  The  question 
is  fully  discussed  in  her  "  Life  in  the  Sick  Room,"  ^  where 
the  arguments  are  deeply  earnest,  and,  many  will  think, 
cogent.  How  this  opinion  affected  her  relations  with  her 
brother  may  be  described  in  the  words  of  the  latter :  — 

"  She  had  becomed  possessed  by  the  conviction  that  it  was 
a  breach  of  private  confidence  not  to  destroy  friendly  corre- 
spondence as  fast  as  it  arose ;  and,  besides  acting  on  this 
principle  herself,  had  demanded  the  sacrifice  of  all  her  letters 
at  the  hands  of  those  to  whom  they  were  addressed.  Against 
this  severe  exaction  I  had  remonstrated  in  vain.  It  would 
have  wrenched  from  me  a  large  portion  of  those  treasures 
of  memory  which  often  yield  the  chief  revenue  of  solace  and 
affection  in  old  age,  and  which  cannot  consistently  be  given 
in  trust,  to  be  withdrawn  in  distrust.  The  only  option  left 
to  me  was,  to  cancel  the  old  letters,  or  to  receive  no  new  ones. 
I  looked  over  my  stores,  and  made  my  choice  with  sadness, 
but  with  decision.  The  latter  correspondence  had  not  been 
quite  like  the  earlier.  Still  bright,  frank,  eager  about  kindly 
offices,  and  disinterested  ends,  they  had  become  short,  sum- 
mary and  dictatorial:  and  touched  condescendingly,  if  at  all, 
on  the  subjects  of  thought  and  work  of  life  which  remained 
of  supreme  interest  to  me.  In  cases  of  divergent  opinion 
they  betrayed  a  sharp  impatience  which  gave  notice  that  any 

1  P.  77  m- 

119 


,/^ 


PARADISE    STREET  [1844-1846 

exchange  of  ideas  was  useless,  and  that  the  condition  of  happy 
intercourse  must  be  the  suppression  of  all  serious  dissent  from 
her  judgments.  I  could  not  conceal  from  myself  the  change 
which  had  insensibly  modified  our  relation  and  rendered  its 
old  style  of  confidences  impossible :  and  I  chose,  if  so  it  must 
be,  to  forfeit  the  future  rather  than  the  past.  Except  in  the 
matter  of  correspondence,  there  was  no  active  difiference :  she 
had  been  at  my  house,  and  I  at  hers :  but  such  opportunities 
were  rare ;  and  the  long  silences  between  left  it  possible  for 
vast  changes  of  feeling  to  mature  themselves  on  one  side, 
without  reporting  themselves  to  the  other," 

But  although  pleasant  intercourse  had  become  impossible 
ever  since  the  letter-burning  mandate,  there  was  another 
cause  of  vexation.  This  was  the  time  when  Miss  Martineau 
was  engaged  in  controversy  with  Mr.  Greenhow  about  her 
malady  and  its  cure  by  mesmerism.  Her  brother  was  quite 
unable  to  concur  in  her  views;  but  he  neither  published 
nor  volunteered  any  expression  of  his  opinion,  and  simply 
claimed  to  be  let  alone  in  having  it.  She  seems,  however, 
to  have  made  a  difiference  of  opinion  a  source  of  personal 
offence,  and  to  have  believed  too  readily  what  are  charac- 
terised as  "  injurious  fictions  "  about  him.  Her  mind  was 
evidently  excited  and  morbid ;  and  Mrs.  Martineau's  sister, 
who  endeavoured  to  present  things  to  her  in  a  truer  light, 
writes :  "  Everything  convinces  me  to  demonstration  that 
all  attempts  to  give  her  just  views  of  your  conduct  and 
feelings  would  be  worse  than  useless."  This  is  about  six 
years  before  the  appearance  of  the  Atkinson  Letters.  In 
1846,  however,  some  reconciliation  took  place;  for  Mr. 
Martineau  had  a  serious  conversation  with  his  sister,  during 
a  visit  of  the  latter  to  Liverpool,  on  the  causes  of  change 
in  their  relations,  in  which  he  disclaimed  all  action  except 
in  self-defence  against  some  demand  or  statement  initiated 
by  her.  This  proved  at  least  so  far  satisfactory  that  she 
afterwards  met  some  friends  at  dinner  at  Park  Nook,  and 
subjects  of  difiference  were  by  common  consent  avoided. 

120 


1845-1846]         DEATH    OF    HERBERT 

The  year  1845  was  not  without  other  trials.  A  minor 
one  was  the  reduction  of  his  College  salary  to  £100  a  year, 
which  obliged  him  to  resume  some  of  his  private  teaching. 
He  soon  had  three  separate  engagements,  with  either  a  single 
pupil  or  small  classes  of  two  and  three.  A  much  more 
afflicting  source  of  anxiety  was  the  serious  illness  of  their 
"  lovely  Herbert."  The  little  patient  suffered  no  pain,  slept 
well,  and  had  natural  enjoyment  of  his  reading  and  amuse- 
ments; but  if  occasional  improvement  revived  the  hopes 
of  his  parents,  they  were  soon  dashed  again  by  his  increas- 
ing weakness  and  the  continuance  of  feverish  symptoms. 
"  Mamma,"  he  said  one  day,  "  do  you  not  find  these  days 
very  tiresome?  "  and  again,  "  I  never  miss  praying  to  God 
for  you,  that  you  may  not  be  quite  overdone  with  nursing 
me."  He  had  set  his  heart  on  giving  a  paper-knife  to  Sir 
Arnold  Knight,  and  when  he  presented  it  the  kind  physician 
could  only  say  "  Dear  little  fellow,"  as  he  turned  away  to 
hide  his  tears.  As  his  strength  declined,  his  patience  and 
sweetness  increased ;  and  almost  to  the  last  he  found  pleas- 
ure in  a  collection  of  shells  which  he  was  engaged  in  classify- 
ing. The  rest  of  the  pathetic  story  must  be  told  in  his 
father's  words. 

On  the  4th  of  February,  1846,  he  wrote  to  Mr. 
Thom :  — 

"  Our  little  invalid  continues  in  a  state  which  allows  of 
but  very  faint  hopes  of  his  restoration  to  us  here.  His  de- 
cline is  the  realisation  of  a  sorrow  which,  with  a  secret  pre- 
monitory superstition,  I  have  always  anticipated.  There  is 
something  in  the  boy's  nature  so  deep  and  beautiful,  and  so 
unlike  anything  I  have  ever  noticed  elsewhere,  that  the  in- 
stinctive feeling  has  never  left  me,  that  he  was  ill  adapted 
for  the  conditions  of  this  life.  But  the  wasting  hours  of  tran- 
sition are  hard  to  bear;  —  not  from  any  shadow  of  doubt 
or  fear,  which  never  comes  across  our  faith  that  all  is  well, 
but  from  mere  human  love  and  pity,  baffled  by  the  visible 
decline,  and  shrinking  from  the  real  farewell." 

121 


PARADISE    STREET  [1845-1846 

The  following  paragraph  is  from  the  Biographical 
Memoranda :  — 

"  Our  boy  Herbert,  —  a  child  so  delicately  made  and  of 
such  rare  beauty  that  we  had  often  wondered  at  his  habitual 
good  health,  —  was  .  .  .  visited  by  some  internal  complaint 
which  long  remained  mysterious,  but  at  last  declared  itself 
to  be  fatal.  We  had  barely  realised  what  was  before  us,  ere 
he  was  seized  in  the  night  of  the  28th  of  March,  1846,  with 
a  sudden  paroxysm,  and  died  in  my  arms.  I  will  not  dwell 
upon  the  fair  promise  which  in  that  moment  withered  for 
this  world:  I  should  be  supposed  to  speak  under  the  ideal- 
ising influence  of  time.  Yet  all  who  knew  him  were  struck 
and  fascinated,  not  only  by  his  personal  grace,  but  by  his 
quick  intelligence,  his  transparent  undulations  of  feeling,  above 
all,  his  intuitive  apprehension  of  beauty  and  expression  in 
form,  colour,  tone,  and  character.  A  remarkable  evidence 
of  the  impression  which  his  winning  nature  produced  was 
afforded  by  an  incident  in  the  life  of  the  late  Dr.  Philip  P. 
Carpenter.  This  exemplary  man,  when  stationed  at  Warring- 
ton, coming  pretty  often  to  my  house  to  the  delight  of  all  my 
children,  became  deeply  attached  to  the  boy :  and  the  tender 
reverence  with  which,  in  after  years,  he  always  spoke  of  him 
was  very  touching.  From  a  scruple  of  their  father's,  none 
of  Dr.  Lant  Carpenter's  children  had  been  baptised.  Philip, 
not  inheriting  this  scruple,  resolved  to  submit  himself  to  the 
rite  in  middle  life:  and  he  availed  himself  of  the  opportunity 
to  assume  the  name  Herbert  as  a  prefix  to  that  by  which  he 
was  known ;  and  adopted  thenceforth  a  monogram  embodying 
the  initials  of  the  three  Christian  names.  This  feeling  in 
an  occasional  visitor  may  serve  as  some  measure  of  the  sorrow 
at  home.  A  memorial  stone  marks  the  grave  under  the  trees 
in  the  little  Park  Chapel  ground." 

The  funeral  took  place  on  the  ist  of  April,  when  parents 
and  children  assembled  in  the  study  for  joint  surrender 
of  their  treasure,  and  united  prayer;  and  then  the  father, 
his  son  Russell,  and  Mr,  Alfred  Higginson  went  to  the 
service  at  Park  Chapel,  and  by  the  grave.  Mr,  Philip  Car- 
penter sent  a  letter,  "  almost  heartbroken,"  saying  that 
Herbert  had  been  to  him  *'  like  an  angel  from  Heaven," 
The  stone  bears  these  touching  lines :  — 

122 


1845]      "RATIONALE,"  THIRD   EDITION 

"  O  life,  too  fair  !  upon  thy  brow 
We  saw  the  light —  where  thou  art  now. 
O  death,  too  sad  !  in  thy  deep  shade 
All  but  our  sorrow  seem'd  to  fade  : 
O  Heaven,  too  rich  !  not  long  detain 
Thine  exiles  from  the  sight  again." 

We  must  now  go  back  a  little  in  our  narrative.  The 
time  had  come  for  a  third  edition  of  the  "  Rationale," 
which  was  to  appear  in  Chapman's  "  Catholic  Series."  The 
preface,  dated  Jan.  27,  1845,  says  that  it  is  not  without 
hesitation  that  the  author  "  has  consented  to  re-issue  a 
book,  of  whose  faults  he  has  acquired  so  profound  a  sense, 
and  in  which  few  topics  are  presented  in  the  manner  that 
now  seems  to  him  the  best."  But  the  alteration  in  his  point 
of  view  consisted  "  not  in  the  reversal,  but  in  the  further 
unfolding  and  prosecution  of  its  judgments."  On  one  sub- 
ject, however,  he  admits,  though  guardedly,  an  important 
change  of  opinion.  In  the  first  edition  he  had  committed 
himself  to  the  following  statement,  referring  to  the  German 
Rationalists :  "  Should  these  attempts  to  reduce  the  facts  of 
the  evangelical  history  to  common  events  be  successful,  the 
Gospel  falls  :  nor  is  there  any  intelligible  sense  in  which  one, 
who  thinks  that  the  preternatural  may  be  thus  banished 
from  the  birth  and  infancy  of  our  faith,  can  continue  to  take 
the  name  of  Christian."  ^  In  a  note  on  this  passage  he 
remarks  that  the  orthodox,  in  his  desire  to  exclude  the 
Unitarian,  and  the  anti-supernaturalist  in  his  anxiety  to 
include  himself,  agree  that  "  being  a  Christian  means,  being 
a  disciple  of  Christ,  and  a  believer  of  his  doctrine:  as  an 
Aristotelian  meant  a  disciple  of  Aristotle,  and  a  Platonist 
of  Plato."  On  this  view  he  has  the  following  comment : 
"  If  indeed  the  essential  features  of  Christianity  are  to  be 
found  in  the  doctrinal  or  preceptive  parts  of  the  Scripture, 
it  is  difficult  to  deny  to  anyone  who  holds  the  doctrines  and 

1  p.  132  s^. 

123 


PARADISE    STREET  [1845 

venerates  the  precepts  he  finds  there,  the  title  of  Christian; 
and  it  is  only  on  the  supposition  of  the  rehgion  of  Christ 
being  essentially  historical,  that  we  can  make  a  behef  in 
the  facts  the  basis  of  our  definition."  *  In  consequence  of 
these  passages  he  received  a  long  and  closely  reasoned  letter 
from  his  friend  J.  Blanco  White,  in  which  the  latter  con- 
tended *'  that  no  man  has  a  right  to  deny  the  name  of 
Christian  to  another  who  wishes  to  be  known  by  that  name, 
as  long  as  it  cannot  be  proved  that  he  assumes  it  maliciously, 
and  for  the  purpose  of  deception.  To  declare  anyone  un- 
worthy of  the  name  of  Christian  because  he  does  not  agree 
with  your  belief,  is  to  fall  into  the  intolerance  of  the  Articled 
Churches."  He  then  argues  at  great  length  that  miracles 
are  far  too  uncertain  historically  to  be  made  the  credentials 
of  a  revelation.  To  this  letter  a  reply  was  given,  without 
explicit  allusion  to  it,  in  the  preface  of  the  second  edition. 
The  author  there  disclaims  the  intention  of  making  "  any 
harsh  declaration,"  and  treats  the  difference  of  opinion  re- 
specting the  supernatural  origin  of  Christianity  as  not  very 
serious.  He  points  out  that  "  the  great  antagonist  prin- 
ciples of  religion,  between  which  it  is  the  duty  of  good  men 
to  take  their  choice,  are  orthodoxy  and  rationalism  :  of 
which  the  one  makes  belief  a  duty  of  the  Will,  and  judges 
men  by  their  creed;  the  other  makes  it  an  involuntary  act 
of  the  Understanding,  and  judges  them  by  their  character." 
Nevertheless  he  defends  his  exclusion  of  the  German  Ration- 
alists by  an  argument  which,  mutatis  mutandis,  was  equally 
applicable  to  himself  as  a  Unitarian.  The  term  Christian- 
ity was  irrevocably  associated  with  the  belief  in  its  super- 
natural origin,  so  that  it  was  the  name  of  a  particular  belief, 
and  not  of  certain  moral  qualities ;  and  accordingly  he  would 
retain  the  appellations  Christian  and  Deist  to  distinguish 
those  who  accepted  and  those  who  rejected  the  supernatural 

1  P.  246. 

124 


1845]      "RATIONALE,"  THIRD  EDITION 

origin  of  Christianity.  He  recognises  the  obloquy  attending 
the  latter  name;  but  "the  best  way  to  tame  the  sting  of 
evil  terms,  which  ought  to  carry  no  reproach,  is  for  good 
men  to  take  them  up  and  wear  them."  He  now,  in  his  third 
edition,  though  "  still  far  from  concurring  in  all  the  state- 
ments of  the  letter  "  looks  upon  his  reply  as  "  imperfect 
and  unsatisfactory  " ;  and,  to  enable  the  reader  to  form  his 
own  judgment,  he  presents  a  large  portion  of  the  letter  in 
an  appendix.  His  change  of  view  cannot  be  stated  more 
succinctly  than  in  his  own  words :  — 

"  He  was  not  at  that  time  acquainted  with  any  form  of 
Anti-supernaturalism  but  one :  that  which  professes  to  account 
for  Christ  and  Christianity,  and  to  discern  the  system  of 
second  causes  to  which  all  the  characteristics  of  the  religion 
and  its  author  may  be  referred.  To  this  scheme  of  belief 
he  still  thinks  it  improper  to  apply  the  term  Christian.  Those 
who  hold  it  may  entertain  opinions  concurrent  with  the  views 
of  Christ;  but  perceiving  clearly,  as  they  imagine,  how  he  came 
by  them,  they  regard  him,  at  best,  not  as  the  Master  of  their 
faith,  but  as  fellow-pupil  with  them  of  the  same  arguments. 
Whoever  sees  in  Christ,  not  an  original  source  of  truth  and 
goodness,  but  only  a  product  of  something  else,  is  destitute  of 
the  attitude  of  mind  constituting  religious  discipleship ;  which 
implies,  not  that  we  have  been  convinced  by  the  reasoning  of 
an  equal,  but  that  we  have  been  subdued  by  the  authority,  and 
possessed  by  the  intuitions  of  a  higher  mind.  To  take  some- 
thing on  trust,  to  feel  its  self-evidence,  to  bend  before  its  re- 
vealer  as  above  ourselves  —  human  indeed  as  he  speaks  to  our 
consciousness,  divine  as  he  transcends  our  analysis  —  appears 
to  be  essential  to  the  disciple,  and  to  constitute  the  difference 
between  scientific  agreement  and  religious  faith.  This  state  of 
mind,  however,  which  recognises  what  is  beyond  nature  in 
Christ,  and  owns  a  divine  and  '  supernatural '  authority  in  his 
religion,  may  co-exist  with  doubt,  or  even  disbelief,  in  the 
miracles  recorded  in  the  Scriptures.  Such  scepticism  may 
arise  in  an  inquirer's  mind  without  altering  in  any  way  his 
religious  classification.  Nothing  more  is  implied  in  it  than 
simply  a  new  estimate  of  certain  historical  testimony,  a  new 
conception  of  the  manner  in  which  the  early  Christian  litera- 
ture assumed  its  present  form,  without  the  slightest  change  of 

12^ 


PARADISE    STREET  [1845 

reverential  posture  towards  the  great  Object  which  this  me- 
dium presents,"  ^ 

In  February,  1845,  appeared  the  first  number  of  the 
"  Prospective  Review;'  with  its  motto,  Respice,  Aspic e, 
Prospice.  This  Review  was  the  continuation  of  an  older 
Journal  named  "The  Christian  Teacher,"  which  was  started, 
as  a  monthly,  in  1835.  In  1838  it  became  a  quarterly,  under 
the  editorship  of  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Thom.  The  first  volume 
of  the  new  series  is  dated  1839.  The  editor  retained  the 
old  name,  so  as  to  preserve  the  continuity  of  the  publication, 
but  he  took  care  to  explain  that  it  was  intended  to  indicate 
simply  that  the  character  of  the  magazine  "  shall  be  con- 
structive not  destructive,  affirmative  not  negative,  nutritive 
not  combative."  In  1845  the  editorial  staff  was  enlarged 
by  the  inclusion  of  the  Revs.  J.  J.  Tayler,  Charles  V/icksteed, 
and  James  Martineau;  and  the  opportunity  was  embraced 
of  changing  the  name,  which  seemed  to  make  presumptuous 
claims.  The  work  was  to  be  conducted  in  a  catholic  spirit 
and  would  "  restrain  by  no  rigid  Orthodoxy  the  free  ex- 
pression of  different  forms  and  tendencies  of  mind  " ;  but 
it  was  understood  to  be  the  organ  of  what  was  then  a  new 
and  growing  school  among  the  Unitarians.  Dr.  Martineau 
gives  such  a  delightful  picture  of  the  partnership  in  editing 
this  journal  that  it  must  be  here  transcribed :  — 

"  Mr.  Thom,  having  his  hands  most  free,  was  executive 
editor;  but  the  contents  of  the  successive  numbers  were 
blocked  out  at  cabinet  councils,  held  at  one  of  our  Liverpool 
or  Manchester  houses.  We  dined  and  spent  the  evening  to- 
gether, often  remaining  till  next  day.  And  in  the  wide  land- 
scape of  the  past  that  lies  before  me  in  this  evening  of  my  life, 
there  are  few  spots  picked  out  by  brighter  glow  than  those 
hours  of  loving  and  animated  converse.  We  were  different 
enough,  in  modes  and  material  of  thought,  to  stimulate  each 
other,  yet  so  congenial  as  to  be  drawn  nearer  by  the  polarity. 
To  see  Mr.  Tayler's  richly  stored,  reverent,  and  delicate  mind 

1  The  preface. 

126 


1845]  ESSAY    ON    DR.    ARNOLD 

set  free  as  a  child  at  play,  was  in  itself  an  object-lesson  in  wis- 
dom and  beauty.  Mr.  Thorn's  habitual  inner  life  among  high 
ideals,  and  consequent  quick  detection  of  imposture  and  in- 
anity in  the  actual,  could  find  its  grave  expression,  from  the 
pulpit  or  the  platform,  in  severe  rebuke ;  but,  when  only  friends 
were  present  and  offenders  away,  in  a  vein  of  picturesque 
humour,  so  refreshing  that,  even  if  the  victim  were  there,  he 
would  feel  like  a  patient  under  treatment  who,  with  bitter  ex- 
pectations, found  himself  let  off  with  a  pleasant  effervescent 
draught.  The  other  two  partners  had  the  delightful  privilege 
of  enjoying  the  feast  of  soul,  bringing  to  it  only  a  homely  con- 
tribution of  common  sense  and  some  knowledge  of  affairs."  * 

The  first  number  contains  Mr.  Martineau's  brilliant  and 
highly  appreciative  criticism  of  "  The  Life  and  Correspond- 
ence of  Thomas  Arnold,  D.D."  ^  He  speaks  of  Arnold 
as  "  a  man  whose  memory  we  love  with  devotion  almost 
unreserved  "  ;  but  in  the  advice  to  which  he  yielded  in  the 
suppression  of  his  doubts  the  reviewer  sees  "  the  mischiev- 
ous sophistry  and  dishonest  morality  current  on  these  mat- 
ters among  divines,"  and  he  views  "  with  astonishment  and 
shame  "  the  "  unsoundness  of  his  notions  of  subscription 
to  articles  of  faith."  He  presents  his  argument  against 
laxity  in  this  respect  in  a  passage  of  cogent  reasoning  and 
moral  elevation.  Among  other  subjects  touched  upon  there 
is  an  interesting  defence  of  Confirmation,  when  freed  from 
the  admixture  of  "  false  and  pernicious  moral  ideas." 
Speaking  of  Arnold's  intense  antipathy  to  both  Benthamism 
and  Newmanism  he  describes  these  as  "  the  two  grand 
counterfeits  forged  at  the  opposite  extremes  of  error,  of 
true  moral  responsibility  and  personal  duty ;  the  one  merging 
the  conscience  in  self-interest,  the  other  in  priestcraft."  The 
following  passage,  indicating  his  view  of  Christ,  deserves 
attention.  Arnold  objects,  he  says,  "  to  the  mere  historical 
Christ  of  the  Unitarians :  instead  of  a  being  nearly  two 
thousand  years  off,  he  needs  to  feel  himself  the  disciple  of 

1  "  A  Spiritual  Faith,"  Memorial  Preface,  p.  xix.  s^. 
*  Reprinted  in  Miscellanies,  and  in  Essays,  Vol.  I. 

127 


PARADISE    STREET  [1845 

one  who  is  living  now,  and  to  whose  heavenly  spirit  his 
own  may  draw  nigh  in  trustful  devotion.  In  his  view  of 
Christ,  tlierc  is  nothing  to  which,  with  very  slight  modifi- 
cation of  language,  we  should  not  heartily  assent.  He  is 
regarded,  in  Arnold's  theology,  less  as  the  achiever  of  Re- 
demption, than  as  himself  a  Revelation  of  the  Divine  nature ; 
it  was  not  as  the  author  of  binding  precepts,  or  the  teacher 
of  new  truths,  or  the  exemplar  of  a  good  life,  but  as  the 
symbol  of  God's  moral  perfections,  that  he  was  most  dear 
and  holy  to  this  noble  heart." 

In  the  May  number  of  the  same  Review  appeared  his 
essay  on  "  Church  and  State,"  ^  which  is  largely  explanatory 
of  the  opinions  of  recent  writers  on  the  subject,  but  con- 
cludes with  a  valuable  sketch  of  his  own  ideas  of  the  origin 
and  mutual  relations  of  these  two  social  institutions.  Before 
the  close  of  the  year  (in  November)  appeared  his  important 
essay  on  "  Whewell's  Morality,"  which  was  succeeded  by  a 
second  in  the  following  August.^  These  reviews  must  be 
noticed  in  treating  of  his  philosophy. 

In  July  he  preached  a  sermon,  much  more  startling  then 
than  it  would  be  now,  on  "  The  Bible  and  the  Child."  Its 
object  is  to  protest  against  the  use  of  the  whole  Bible  in 
religious  education,  as  "  no  less  at  variance  with  the  present 
condition  of  theological  knowledge  than  mischievous  in  its 
social  results."  He  takes  "  the  spirit  and  the  life  of  Christ  " 
as  the  standard  by  which  to  judge  all  else;  and  he  finds 
much  in  the  Old  Testament  which,  however  it  may  have 
been  suited  to  a  barbarous  age,  is  ill  adapted  to  Christian 
instruction.  "  The  party-cry  of  the  present  day,"  he  ex- 
claims, *'  about  scriptural  education  demands  great  plain- 
ness of  speech,  and  I  scruple  not  to  denounce  it  as  a 
demoralising  and  corrupting  superstition."     In  relation  to 


1  Reprinted  in  Miscellanies,  and  in  Essays,  Vol.  II. 

2  Reprinted  in  Essays,  Vol.  III.      These   are   also  reprinted  in  "Essays 
Philosophical  and  Theological"  (2d  Series),  1869. 

128 


1846]  RECREATIONS 

this  sermon  he  received  two  letters  which  he  thought  of 
sufficient  interest  to  preserve  them.  Lady  Noel  Byron  told 
him  how,  in  her  schools,  she  had  tried  to  minimise,  if  not 
wholly  exclude,  the  use  of  the  Old  Testament  in  teaching 
the  children,  and  supersede  even  the  reference  to  it  by  a 
suitable  commentary  on  the  New  Testament,  treating  the 
fulfilment  of  prophecy  as  a  Jewish  prejudice.  On  the  other 
hand,  Miss  Emily  Taylor  remonstrated  with  him  for  his 
plain  speaking,  urging  that  the  purest  and  wisest  people 
she  had  known  had  been  the  most  devoted  to  Bible  reading, 
that  the  Bible  as  a  zvhole  is  "  self-vindicated,"  and  that 
extracts  and  selections  are  recognised  by  all  three  parties 
in  England  as  desirable,  but,  when  made,  eviscerate  and  kill 
the  force  and  interest  of  the  literature.  She  pleads  that 
Jesus  Christ  was  himself  a  Jew,  brought  up  on  the  Old 
Testament.  To  the  last  plea  Mr.  Martineau  replies  :  "  Yes ; 
and  hence  it  was  that  he  opened  his  own  ministry  by  con- 
trasting it  with  the  teaching  of  *  them  of  old  time.'  " 

These  arduous  labours  were  relieved  by  an  occasional 
holiday;  but  a  holiday  at  Park  Nook  was  characterised, 
not  by  languid  rest,  but  by  "  energetic  idleness."  The 
occupations  of  one  in  July  in  this  year  consisted  of  visiting 
the  "  Great  Britain  "  in  Coburg  Dock,  sailing  in  a  small 
boat  on  the  river,  and  seeing  the  "  beauty  monster  "  come 
out  of  the  graving  dock;  gardening,  joinering,  plumbing, 
painting;  and  shifting  the  otherwise  inflexible  meal-times 
to  suit  the  rambles  of  the  long  summer  day.  Another  pleas- 
ant change  was  afforded  by  the  visits  of  friends,  not  only  of 
relatives,  but  of  others  whose  associated  labours  or  kindred 
tastes  attracted  them  to  the  house.  Now  it  was  F.  W.  New- 
man, who  was  "  so  delightful  a  companion  and  so  lovable 
a  friend  as  to  enhance  rather  than  spoil  "  the  family  inter- 
course. Now  it  was  George  Dawson,  who  preached  in 
Paradise  Street  in  January,  1846,  and  was  afterwards 
introduced  to  a  large  party  invited  to  meet  him  at  Park 
9  129 


PARADISE    STREET  [1846 

Nook.  And  again  it  was  Emerson,  who  on  occasion  of 
his  second  visit,  in  1847,  ^^^^  upon  Mr.  Martineau  "  an 
indehble  impression  of  the  depth  and  greatness  of  his  na- 
ture," and  proved  himself  "  dehghtful,  both  as  the  winning 
personal  friend,  and  as  a  lecturer." 

One  of  the  most  important  of  Theodore  Parker's  writings, 
"  A  Discourse  of  Matters  pertaining  to  Religion,"  was  pub- 
lished in  1842,  but  it  was  not  till  February,  1846,  that  Mr. 
Martineau's  criticism  of  it  appeared  in  the  "  Prospective 
Review."  ^  In  the  interval  he  seems  to  have  had  some  cor- 
respondence with  Parker,  for  he.  mentions  that  the  latter, 
writing  on  March  24,  1845,  "  takes  my  plea  for  gentleness 
in  critical  handling  of  received  theological  beliefs  in  the 
most  generous  and  sympathetic  way,  remembering  what  it 
has  cost  him  to  reach  his  present  convictions  on  these  mat- 
ters." He  had  also  expressed  to  Dr.  Dewey  his  disapproval 
of  the  harsh  treatment  accorded  to  Parker  by  his  brother 
ministers;  but  Dr.  Dewey,  in  a  letter  in  which  he  intro- 
duced the  poet  William  Cullen  Bryant  (April  15,  1845), 
defended  their  action,  speaking  of  the  views  of  Parker  as 
"  blank  infidelity,"  and  curiously  confounding  him  with 
Strauss.  Mr.  Martineau,  who  could  clearly  distinguish 
intellectual  error  and  moral  obtuseness,  took  a  juster  view, 
and  his  notice  is  warmly  appreciative,  though  pointing  out 
very  plainly  the  shortcomings  of  Parker's  brilliant  work. 
He  begins  with  a  protest  against  the  fear  which  marked 
the  intellectual  tendencies  of  the  age,  and  an  earnest  plea 
for  sincerity  and  outspokenness  in  dealing  with  religious 
questions,  and  this  on  the  ground  that  faith  "  has  its  ulti- 
mate seat,  not  in  the  mutable  judgments  of  the  understand- 
ing, but  in  the  native  sentiments  of  Conscience,  and  the 
inexhaustible  aspirations  of  Affection!  The  supreme  cer- 
tainty must  needs  be  too  true  to  be  proved :  and  the  highest 


*  Reprinted  in  Miscellanies,  and  in  Essays,  I. 

130 


X846]  PARKER'S    -DISCOURSE" 

perfection  can  appear  doubtful  only  to  Sensualism  and  Sin." 
His  rising  indignation  against  the  "  Doctrine  of  reserve  " 
and  Tractarian  Jesuitry  finally  breaks  out  in  the  exclama- 
tion, "  Honour  then  to  the  manly  simplicity  of  Theodore 
Parker.  Perish  who  may  among  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  — 
*  orthodox  liars  for  God,'  ^  —  he  at  least  *  has  delivered  his 
soul.'  "  Still  it  is  said  that  Parker  "  is  not  an  exact  writer, 
scarcely  a  consistent  thinker ;  and  his  convictions  are  rather 
a  series  of  noble  fragments,  waiting  adjustment  by  maturer 
toil,  than  a  compact  and  finished  structure."  Accordingly 
the  philosophical  character  of  his  theism  is  subjected  to  an 
acute  examination,  which  we  must  pass  over  for  the  present. 
He  dififers  from  Parker  in  not  giving  so  wide  a  range  to 
inspiration,  which  he  would  limit  to  the  sphere  of  involun- 
tary "  consciousness  of  moral  distinctions,  and  reverence 
for  moral  excellence  and  beauty.  Whatever  gifts  are  found 
in  this  province  of  the  soul,  which  are  not  the  produce  of 
human  will ;  which  have  been  neither  learned  nor  earned ; 
which,  without  the  touch  of  any  voluntary  process,  appear 
in  mysterious  spontaneity;  are  strictly  the  Inspiration  of 
God."  He  also  looks  "  with  strong  repugnance  "  on  the 
attempt  "  to  render  Christianity  independent  of  the  individ- 
uality of  Christ."  He  can  "  find  no  rest  in  any  view  of 
Revelation  short  of  that  which  pervades  the  Fourth  Gospel, 
and  which  is  everywhere  implicated  in  the  folds  of  the 
Logos-doctrine;  that  it  is  an  appearance,  to  beings  ivho 
have  something  of  a  divine  spirit  zcithin  them,  of  a  yet 
diviner  without  them,  leading  them  to  the  Divinest  of  all, 
that  embraces  them  both  " ;  and  he  regards  the  evidence  of 
these  higher  communications  as  lying  within  the  conscious- 
ness of  the  soul  itself,  and  not  in  any  physical  demonstration. 


1  We  may  compare  the  words  used  about  the  same  time  by  F.  W.  Robert- 
son, of  religious  agitators  and  religious  papers:  "They  tell  lies  in  the  name  of 
God;  others  tell  them  in  the  name  of  the  devil:  that  is  the  only  difference." 
"  Life  and  Letters,"  Vol.  I.  p.  io8. 


PARADISE    STREET  [1847 

The  following  letter  relating  to  Parker's  work  may  be 

inserted  here :  — 

Liverpool,  Oct.  3,  1847. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  I  cannot  pay  in  kind  my  thanks  for  the 
great  things  you  have  sent  me ;  but  such  as  I  have  give  I  thee. 
The  volume  ^  will  teach  you  nothing,  except  what  I  am  myself 
at  heart,  and  that  is  not  a  lesson  worth  learning.  I  was  pleased 
to  hear  that  the  notice  in  the  Westminster  was  at  all  satisfac- 
tory to  your  friends.  It  did  you  no  justice,  having  been  writ- 
ten under  great  pressure,  and  after  another  article  in  which 
you  were  more  fully  discussed ;  besides,  —  the  idea  of  pack- 
ing you  and  Strauss  into  one  paper!  as  well  put  the  Missis- 
sippi and  the  Nile  into  a  quart  bottle.  I  find  traces  everywhere 
of  the  widening  influence  of  your  book,  which  penetrates  into 
strange  quarters  and  breaks  through  the  most  rigorous  cordon 
of  sect.  Your  promised  "Quarterly"  excites  much  expectation 
among  us.  May  it  last  longer  than  the  "  Dial,"  and  be  a  little 
more  accessible  to  plebeian  apprehension  like  mine. 

With  our  kindest  remembrances  and  hearty  good  wishes, 
Yours  right  truly, 

James  Martineau. 

The  article  in  the  "  Westminster  Review,"  referred  to 
in  the  foregoing  letter,  appeared  in  April,  1847.  ^^  was  a 
review  of  Strauss's  "  Life  of  Jesus  "  and  of  Parker's  "  Dis- 
course of  Matters  pertaining  to  Religion."  After  pointing 
out  the  strong  contrast  between  the  two  writers,  he  traces 
historically  the  change  from  the  Puritan  reliance  on  docu- 
ments to  the  critical  view  of  the  Scriptures.  In  regard  to 
the  Fourth  Gospel,  he  says :  "  Though  Bretschneider,  pur- 
suing the  usual  Teutonic  method  of  exhaustion,  has  certainly 
overstated  his  case  against  the  Gospel  of  John,  it  does  not 
seem  likely  that  any  strong  confidence  in  the  authenticity 
of  that  book  will  ever  be  recovered."  A  large  part  of  the 
article  is  devoted  to  an  examination  of  Strauss's  hypothesis. 
While  admitting  that  it  may  have  a  limited  application,  Mr. 
Martineau  thinks  it  enormously  exaggerated,  and  believes 


^  Presumably  the  second  volume  of  "  Endeavours." 

132 


X847]  SERMON    ON    IRELAND 

that  the  Gospels  have  a  substantial  historical  basis.  He  con- 
cludes with  an  analysis  of  Parker's  work,  accompanied  by 
some  critical  remarks. 

In  November  appeared  his  review  of  Morell's  "  History 
of  Modern  Philosophy,"  which  is  reprinted  in  "  Essays 
Philosophical  and  Theological,"  second  series,  1869. 

On  the  31st  of  January,  1847,  he  preached  a  sermon  on 
"  Ireland  and  her  Famine,"  ^  whose  sympathetic  and  elo- 
quent pleading  might  still  send  a  thrill  of  gladness  through 
every  Irish  heart.  While  tracing  the  misery  of  Ireland 
chiefly  to  the  transference  thither  of  a  method  of  govern- 
ment for  which  the  people  were  ill  prepared,  he  recognises 
as  a  more  conspicuous  cause  of  its  permanent  social  con- 
dition "  the  criminal  neglect  of  their  obligations  by  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  soil."  He  lays  it  down  as  "  a  principle  of 
natural  justice,  and  of  English  constitutional  usage,  that 
there  can  be  no  absolute  private  property  in  land ;  that  the 
State  simply  administers  its  possessions  by  the  hands  of 
private  individuals,  conceding  to  them  privileges  of  use, 
alienation  and  bequest  on  condition  of  certain  services  ren- 
dered back ;  —  establishing  them  in  specified  rights  over  it, 
as  against  others,  but  never  as  against  itself."  "  Of  all 
these  conditions  the  very  first  in  order  undoubtedly  is,  that 
the  land  shall  support  its  people;  that  the  cultivator  shall 
live,  before  the  owner  may  gather;  that  no  rent  can  be 
touched,  till  labour  has  been  fed ;  seeing  that  the  spade  and 
the  plough  give  an  earlier  and  more  indefeasible  title  than 
the  parchment-roll."  He  then  shows  in  most  pathetic  pic- 
tures how  "  these  primary  conditions  have  been  overlooked 
and  violated  "  ;  and  further  points  out  how  "  the  cultivator 
dares  not  save,"  for  "  the  slightest  improvement  in  his  neg- 
ligent and  wasteful  culture  will  bring  down  a  fresh  claim 
upon  him ;   and  he  is  safe  only  on  the  verge  of  pauperism, 


Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 


PARADISE    STREET  [1847 

and  with  a  farm  that  quiets  the  suspicions  of  cupidity  by- 
its  very  look  of  beggary.  And  this,  it  must  be  remembered, 
takes  place  in  a  country  where  the  occupancy  of  land  is 
identical  with  the  holding  of  existence  itself."  Can  you 
wonder,  he  asks,  that  the  ejecting  landlord  "  is  regarded, 
in  the  passion  of  despair,  as  himself  beginning  the  game  of 
life  against  life,  and  provoking  the  guilty  retaliation "  ? 
At  that  time  the  miseries  of  Ireland  touched  the  hearts  of 
the  hearers,  and  the  collection  amounted  to  £505. 

The  great  personal  interest  of  the  present  year  was  the 
prospect  of  a  new  and  beautiful  church,  to  be  erected  on  a 
more  eligible  site.  The  rapid  growth  of  Liverpool,  remov- 
ing the  residences  of  the  inhabitants  further  and  further 
from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Exchange,  had  long  ren- 
dered Paradise  Street  Chapel  inconvenient  to  its  congrega- 
tion; and  it  was  resolved  to  remove  to  Hope  Street.  By 
the  beginning  of  June  the  plans  of  Barry  and  Brown  for 
the  new  church  were  unanimously  accepted,  to  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  great  satisfaction ;  and  his  mind  was  already 
contemplating  what  Mrs.  Martineau  calls  "  a  great  and 
wondrous  scheme,"  Avhich  w^as  still  a  profound  secret,  ex- 
cept from  a  few  official  friends.  This  mysterious  design 
was  to  spend  a  year  in  Germany  during  the  building  of  the 
church.  His  first  wish  was  that  the  two  congregations  of 
Paradise  Street  and  Renshaw  Street  should  unite  for  two 
years,  and  allow  each  minister  a  year's  absence,  while  one 
remained  at  home  to  discharge  the  duties  of  both.  This 
plan,  however,  was  not  carried  into  effect.^ 

He  spent  his  vacation  at  Grange,  in  Borrowdale,  and, 
while  there,  decided  to  select  from  a  portmanteau  of  manu- 
scripts a  second  volume  of  "  Endeavours."  This,  as  well 
as  his  second  edition  of  the  first  volume,  was  given  to  the 
public  before  the  end  of  the  year.     It  was  dedicated  to  his 


1  Referred  to  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Thorn,  July  lo,  1847. 


JAMES    MARTINEAII 

1847- 8 

FROM    AN    EXGRAVINt;    OF    A    PAINTING    BY    MR.    AGAR 


1847]    -ENDEAVOURS,"  SECOND  VOLUME 

friend,  Mr.  Thorn,  and,  like  its  predecessor,  was  a  miscel- 
laneous collection.  The  hoped-for  sermons  on  the  Ministry 
of  Christ  and  the  Pauline  Gospel  were  postponed,  owing 
to  a  growing-  sense  of  the  inadequacy  of  his  materials. 
In  the  preface  he  gives  a  glimpse  into  the  process  of  his 
thought.  He  points  out  that  differences  of  theological 
belief  have  their  secret  foundation  in  different  philosophies 
of  religion;  that  the  sacred  writings  are  allowed  to  retain 
precisely  the  residue  of  authority  which,  according  to  the 
believer's  view  of  our  nature  and  our  life,  is  unsupplied 
from  any  other  source;  and  that  therefore  the  psychology 
of  religion  must  have  precedence  of  its  documentary  criti- 
cism. Hence  he  says :  "  I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess,  that 
extensive  and,  in  the  end,  systematic  changes  in  the  opinions 
I  derived  from  sect  and  education  have  had  no  higher 
origin  than  self-examination  and  reflection,  —  a  more  care- 
ful interrogation  of  that  internal  experience,  of  which  the 
superficial  interpretation  is  so  seductive  to  indolence  and  so 
prolific  in  error."  In  the  preface  he  also  gives  expression  to 
a  view  which  may  explain  some  of  the  characteristics  of 
his  preaching.  "  Preaching,"  he  says,  "  is  essentially  a 
lyric  expression  of  the  soul,  an  utterance  of  meditation  in 
sorrow,  hope,  love,  and  joy,  from  a  representative  of  the 
human  heart  in  its  divine  relations."  Hence  he  condemns 
extemporaneous  preaching,  which  "  is  as  little  likely  to 
produce  a  genuine  Sermon,  as  the  practice  of  improvising 
to  produce  a  great  poem.  The  thoughts  and  aspirations 
which  look  direct  to  God,  and  the  kindling  of  which  among 
a  fraternity  of  men  constitutes  social  worship,  are  natives 
of  solitude :  the  spectacle  of  ah  assembly  is  a  hindrance 
to  their  occurrence;  and  though,  where  they  have  been 
devoutly  set  dov/n  beforehand,  they  may  be  re-assumed 
under  such  obstacle,  they  would  not  spontaneously  rise  till 
the  presence  of  a  multitude  was  forgotten,  and  by  a  rare 
effort  of  abstraction  the  loneliness  of  the  spirit  was  re- 

135 


PARADISE    STREET  [1847 

stored."  This  certainly  does  not  describe  a  universal  expe- 
rience. There  are  those  who  feel  their  intensest  spiritual 
glow  before  the  combined  fires  of  many  hearts,  and  they  are 
the  most  moving  preachers  who,  instead  of  feeling  their 
hearers  to  be  a  hindrance,  have  their  passionate  sympathy 
called  forth  by  the  presence  of  an  assembly  whose  strug- 
gling emotions  they  would  lift  into  a  diviner  life.  He  once 
alluded  to  this  subject  in  a  College  debate,  and  made  it 
apparent  that  he  was  keenly  sensitive  to  any  symptom  of 
indifference  or  scepticism  in  his  hearers,  so  that  he  felt 
himself  deadened  by  a  lower  atmosphere  than  that  which 
his  own  lofty  spirit  was  accustomed  to  breathe.  This  lone- 
liness of  nature  may  explain  how  it  was  that,  while  his 
preaching  fascinated  those  who  came  with  souls  akin  to 
his,  and  thirsting  for  his  high  spiritual  thought,  it  was 
sometimes  found  to  be  less  kindling  than  that  of  men  who 
were  otherwise  of  far  inferior  powers. 

It  is  less  surprising  that  he  required  solitude  for  the 
composition  of  his  sermons.  This  was  not  due  to  any 
inability  to  concentrate  his  attention.  To  write  at  all,  he 
had  to  write  alone;  else  he  could  not  hope  to  "be  in  the 
spirit  on  the  Lord's  day."  ^ 

The  following  abstract  from  F.  W.  Newman's  strictures 
on  the  "  Endeavours,"  together  with  a  letter  of  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  in  reply,  and  his  later  comments,  will  be  read  with 
interest :  ^  — 

ABSTRACT   OF   LETTER   FROM   F.   W.   NEWMAN,  OCTOBER, 

1847. 

"  Written  under  the  first  impression  of  the  recently  pub- 
lished '  Endeavours,'  half-read  with  eager  sympathy  in  two 
days,  though  not  with  entire  approval  of  the  '  lyrical  '  concep- 
tion  which    I   have   of   a   sermon,    and   which   he   thinks   ap- 


1  From  a  letter  of  Mrs.  Martineau's,  Nov.  23,  1845. 

^  The  abstract,  with  comments  appended,  was  made  in  the  later  years  of  his 
life,  but  bears  no  exact  date. 

136 


1847]    "ENDEAVOURS,"  SECOND  VOLUME 

proaches  more  nearly  to  the  Catholic  idea,  as  exemplified  in 
Chrysostom,  Massillon,  Fenelon,  and  partially  relkcted  in 
Jeremy  Taylor,  than  to  the  Reformed,  who  appealed  to  the 
understanding-  in  the  construction  of  doctrine,  —  Luther,  Lati- 
mer, Owen,  Knox.  It  was  in  the  Hymns  of  the  Puritans  and 
their  allies  that  the  affections  found  their  expression ;  '  our 
evangelists  go  round  like  a  squirrel  in  a  cage,  and,  however 
actively  they  step,  rise  not  an  inch  higher.'  Deep  as  my  ap- 
peal often  cuts  into  the  conscience,  he  finds  a  fanatical  element 
in  some  of  its  most  touching  applications  of  Christ's  own  teach- 
ings, especially  in  the  case  of  the  rich  young  man  whom  he 
sent  away  sorrowing,  —  a  case  which  he  analyses  with  a  curi- 
ous rationalistic  literalness.  Surely  the  only  way  to  meet  the 
settled  sorrow  of  a  life  below  the  level  of  its  own  sacred  ideal, 
is  to  startle  it  by  the  plenary  demand  of  its  utmost  surrender, 
and  force  it  into  self-knowledge  by  raising  the  divine  claim  to 
its  supreme  pitch  :  *  Yes,  it  has  kept  the  commandments  ' ;  but 
is  it  with  the  tacit  understanding  that  they  shall  not  ask  more 
than  is  comfortable?  '  Will  it  stand  the  test  of  unconditional 
surrender?  or  must  you  have  easy  terms  for  your  work  in  the 
service  of  God  and  your  brother  man  ?'  It  is  intelligible  enough 
that  the  young  man  went  away  *  very  sorrowful '  from  this 
appeal ;  and  equally  so  that  the  disciples  put  their  own  coarse 
construction  upon  it,  and  found  in  it  a  ground  of  self-gratula- 
tion  on  their  superiority.  F.  W.  Newman's  view  is  founded 
on  an  acceptance  of  the  Gospel  narrative  as  authentic  reports 
of  eye  and  ear  witnesses,  vmmodified  by  the  media  of  trans- 
mission, whereas  it  is  certain  that  they  are  an  assemblage  of 
popular  traditions,  imbued  throughout  wnth  the  preoccupying 
Messianic  ideas  and  contemporary  beliefs  of  the  personal  at- 
tendants of  Jesus,  and  their  disciples  in  the  apostolic  and  post- 
apostolic  age.  Till  these  are  allowed  for,  the  true  personality 
of  Jesus  cannot  be  seen.  It  will  come  out  clear  and  majestic 
after  adequate  critical  sifting  of  the  mixed  materials  furnished 
by  the  Evangelists;  but  these  materials,  taken  as  a  whole,  as 
if  historical,  yield  only  a  confused  multitude  of  superimposed 
and  blurred  images,  with  incompatible  predicates,  which  can 
be  .construed   into   no   conceivable    figure,    either   human    or 

divine." 

MARTINEAU   TO   NEWMAN. 

Liverpool,  Nov.  2,  1S47. 

My  dear  Newman,  —  ...  If   my   recent   volume   speaks 

any  truth  to  you,  I  shall  try  to  quiet  the  misgivings  which  now 

and  then  visit  me  respecting  it.    I  know  it  indeed  to  be  true  to 

137 


PARADISE    STREET  [1847 

my  own  mind ;  but  there  seems  a  peculiar  presumption  in  a 
man's  putting  forth  his  personal  confessions,  as  if  they  could 
have  value  for  the  world.  If  one  has  knozvlcdgc  to  communi- 
cate, or  new  combinations  of  reasoning  to  present,  these  may 
be  fairly  estimated  beforehand  by  the  possessor ;  but  the  con- 
tents of  the  moral  and  spiritual  life  cannot  be  judged  by  like 
standards  of  comparison,  and  must  be  thrown  out  to  take  their 
chance  among  the  sympathies  of  other  minds.  When  they  meet 
with  a  real  welcome  there,  it  relieves  an  inevitable  fear  lest  the 
urgency  with  which  they  pressed  for  utterance  should  have 
been  a  mere  delusion. 

Your  remark  about  the  High  Church  preaching  in  compari- 
son with  that  of  the  Reformers  is  so  manifestly  correct  that  it 
staggered  me  a  good  deal  at  first.  And  it  certainly  shows  that 
my  antithesis  was  not  well  chosen  for  the  purposes  of  illustra- 
tion. Perhaps,  however,  the  historical  fact,  when  referred  to 
its  proper  causes,  is  not  so  much  against  me  as  it  appears.  The 
events  of  the  seventeenth  century  occasioned  a  kind  of  crossing 
of  influences,  I  think,  so  far  as  this  particular  matter  is  con- 
cerned. The  Evangelical  system,  with  its  new  reliance  on  the 
Scriptures,  its  great  doctrine  of  Justification  by  Faith,  and  the 
necessity  under  which  it  lay  of  shaping  its  subjective  and  en- 
thusiastic religion  into  a  structure  competing  in  distinctness 
with  the  external  Christianity  of  the  old  Church,  was  indeed 
driven  to  methods  of  Argument;  the  Intellect  had  to  create  at 
a  stroke  a  Theology  to  rival  the  compacted  formation  of  cen- 
turies. It  was  a  game  of  life  or  death  for  the  new  enthusiasm, 
which  must  either  bring  over  the  Reason  to  its  side,  or  else  die 
out  itself.  Was  there  not,  therefore,  a  temporary  coalescence 
of  the  "  lyrical "  spirit  with  argumentative  forms,  enabling  the 
Puritans  —  so  long  as  this  concurrence  lasted  —  to  satisfy  the 
devout  wants  of  their  people  with  extemporaneous  address? 
And  had  not  the  use  of  the  hook  by  High  Church  Divines  some- 
thing to  do  with  the  obligation  on  all  Conformists  to  read  the 
"  Book  of  Homilies  "  published  by  Authority  ?  Was  not  the 
habit  a  remnant  of  this  outward  mark  of  submission?  The 
practice  of  written  composition  once  established  would  itself 
determine  such  minds  as  Taylor's  to  a  deeply  religious  style  of 
preaching.  The  French  examples  —  as  Massillon  —  are  as 
far  as  possible  from  my  notion  of  what  preaching  ought  to  be ; 
—  full  of  Rhetoric,  without  a  tone  of  Poetry.  Looking  beyond 
our  own  country,  we  surely  find  that  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  employs  extempore  preachers ;  while  the  Reformed 
Churches,  in  proportion  as  their  religious  life  has  detached 

138 


1847]    "ENDEAVOURS,"  SECOND  VOLUME 

itself  from  the  procedure  of  systematic  divinity,  have  resorted 
more  and  more  to  written  composition,  though  disguised  under 
a  mcuioritcr  deHvery.  —  I  confess,  however,  that  you  may  well 
condemn  an  illustration  which  stands  in  need  of  all  this  ques- 
tionable exposition  to  save  some  remnant  of  its  credit. 

Your  remark  as  to  the  character  of  my  Christian  theology  — ■ 
that  it  is  not  a  permanent  structure,  but  a  bridge  to  aid  the 
timid  —  afifects  me  with  a  certain  sadness,  which  is  perhaps  an 
augury  of  its  truth.  And  I  am  too  well  aware  of  the  severe 
cost  of  parting  with  an  object  of  deep  trust  and  reverence  not 
to  be  awake  to  the  temptations  from  this  source  which  may 
endanger  one's  perfect  fidelity.  Yet  I  cannot  but  think  your 
view  of  Christ  as  a  spiritual  guide  more  severe  than  the  high- 
est standard  compatible  with  the  conditions  of  historical  ex- 
istence would  require.  I  do  not  attempt  to  explain  away  any 
of  the  erroneous  promises  and  precepts  which  you  enumerate 
(with  the  exception  of  the  proposal  to  build  the  temple  in  three 
days,  which  appears  to  me  to  have  a  very  noble  symbolical 
meaning).  I  have  long  been  convinced  that  these  expecta- 
tions held  out  to  the  first  disciples  must  be  taken  literally; 
and,  if  truly  reported  (which  we  have  no  right,  perhaps,  to 
question),  must  be  dealt  with  as  mistakes.  They  do  not,  how- 
ever, strike  me  as  very  material  in  the  estimate  of  Christ's 
character.  I  grant  you  that,  if  such  claims  and  promises  were 
to  be  put  forth  by  anyone  in  Europe  now,  they  would  prove 
him  to  be  too  much  tinctured  with  fanaticism  to  be  safely  fol- 
lowed. But  under  the  conditions  of  society  in  Palestine,  with 
a  universal  prevalence  of  theocratical  ideas  and  Messianic  an- 
ticipations, drawing  into  their  vortex  the  whole  religious  genius 
of  the  nation,  the  case  is  surely  very  different.  The  mistake, 
in  the  one  case,  would  be  the  special  assumption,  or  rather 
creation,  of  an  exceptional  fanaticism ;  in  the  other,  it  was 
simply  a  failure  to  escape  from  an  all-pervading  delusion,  I 
do  not  see  how  any  degree  of  sanctity  of  mind  could  have  af- 
forded security  against  such  a  speculative  error.  The  moment 
it  came  in  contact  with  the  practical  life  of  Jesus,  and  invited 
him  to  set  in  action  the  coarse  conventional  methods  for  erect- 
ing the  Messiah's  Kingdom,  he  shrunk,  with  infallible  moral 
feeling,  from  the  touch  of  such  things,  and  after  a  temporarv 
retirement,  resumed  his  spiritual  course ;  and  so  his  will 
evaded  what  his  understanding  could  not  discard.  That,  v/ith 
the  expectations  he  held,  he  should  esteem  it  the  duty  of  him- 
self and  those  who  sympathised  with  him  to  resign  everything 
in  order  to  proclaim  the  "  Kingdom,"  appears  to  me  no  dero- 

139 


PARADISE    STREET  [1847 

gation  from  his  moral  perfection.  In  fact,  to  a  people  pos- 
sessed with  these  ideas,  it  would  really  become  a  duty  to  take 
this  very  course ;  nor  would  any  career  short  of  this  be  up  to 
the  mark  of  conscience,  with  such  a  one  as  the  rich  young  man. 
Perhaps,  too,  it  makes  a  little  difference  if  the  summons  was 
given,  not  to  follow  him  as  the  Messiah,  but  to  join  him  in 
proclaiming  the  approach  of  the  Messiah  ;  and  it  seems  from 
the  three  first  Gospels  very  doubtful  whether  Jesus  really  iden- 
tified himself  with  the  Messiah  at  all.  No  doubt  there  are  pas- 
sages which  imply  that  he  did;  but  so  are  there  which  affirm 
his  circumstantial  fore-announcement  of  his  death.  On  the 
strength  of  other  and  counter  indications  I  do  not  hesitate  to 
believe  that  both  these  statements  are  retrospective  interpre- 
tations and  imaginations  of  the  disciples,  anxious  to  find  in  his 
mind  beforehand  all  that  they  discerned  in  his  life  afterwards. 
You  will  perhaps  tell  me  that  my  large  concessions  leave 
little  that  is  worth  defending.  I  do  not,  however,  feel  it  to  be 
so ;  and  with  all  its  imperfections,  I  find  nothing  still,  in  his- 
tory or  nature,  so  divine  as  that  old  Gospel.  Jesus  appears  to 
me  the  highest  of  realities.  It  is  easy,  in  mere  imagination 
now,  to  improve  upon  that  reality,  by  withdrawing  the  intel- 
lectual limitations  and  reproducing  the  conception  he  has  left 
us  in  the  latitude  and  under  the  conditions  of  modern  thought. 
But  every  departure  from  him  as  the  essential  Type  of  spiritual 
perfection  seems  to  me  a  declension  to  something  lower.  I  am 
far,  however,  from  supposing  that  the  rejection  of  this  stand- 
ard by  others  implies  contentment  with  an  inferior  one.  It 
doubtless  arises  in  good  minds  from  the  clear  discernment  of 
something  beyond  it,  —  something  hid  from  me  at  present,  I 
confess,  but  which,  whenever  revealed,  I  would  humbly  wel- 
come, not  only  without  fear  of  profaneness,  but  with  joyful 
trust  in  God's  good  light. 

Ever  my  dear  Newman,  yours  affectionatelv, 

James  Martineau. 

ABSTRACT   OF   LETTER   FROM  NEWMAN,  NOVEMBER  15, 
WITH   COMMENTS. 

"  The  question  which  he  has  raised  is  not  whether  Jesus  was 
a  good  and  great  man,  but  whether  he  is  the  perfect  image  of 
God,  —  a  claim  which  is  forfeited  by  the  slightest  imperfec- 
tion or  failinof.  short  of  absolute  zvisdom.  ^Missing  this,  he  is 
not  a  safe  guide  for  man.    No  finite  being  can  be  the  visible 

140 


I84I]  SERMONS    ON    PAUL 

imag-e  of  the  invisible  God;  it  is  a  mischievous  idolatry  to 
hold  him  up  as  a  model  for  religious  contemplation ;  the  or- 
thodox theory  rightly,  for  this  purpose,  insists  on  the  neces- 
sity of  superhuman  origin.  Without  this,  how  can  I  call 
myself  his  SovXos  and  him  my  a-uyrqpl  If  Jesus  did  not  claim 
to  be  the  Messiah,  it  is  impossible  to  say  what  is  historical  in 
the  Gospels,  and  he  becomes  a  visionary  character. 

"  December  5.  A  long  and  very  interesting  critique  of  my 
discipleship  to  Jesus  of  Nazareth  as  realising  and  revealing  the 
true  spiritual  relation  between  man  and  God,  and  therefore,  in 
this  filial  relation,  the  whole  moral  life  of  man.  His  reasoning 
would  be  effective  if  we  assumed  the  pagan  {e.  g.,  Aristotelian) 
view  of  '  virtue,'  as  dpt-n],  —  i.  c,  any  good  quality,  though 
given  as  an  inbred  instinct,  like  courage;  he  speaks  of  it  in 
this  sense,  applying  it,  for  instance,  to  the  simplicity  of  a  child 
and  to  maternal  affection  for  an  infant.  If  these  are  virtues, 
all  animals  come  under  the  moral  category  along  with  man. 
The  whole  question  at  issue  between  us  first  comes  up,  for 
me,  when  the  dperr],  instead  of  being  this  (fivaiKij,  becomes 
-TrpnaipfTLKr]  through  Voluntary  rejection  of  a  rival;  —  this  is  the 
birth  of  conscience  and  the  beginning  of  character.  On  this 
distinction  the  whole  history  of  the  Will,  of  the  influence  of 
example,  of  the  inward  life  of  the  soul  rests  for  its  interpreta- 
tion. Until  this  is  recognised,  a  man  may  be  a  fine  handsome 
creature,  but  he  has  no  duty  or  responsibility ;  no  moral  char- 
acter; no  personal  intercommunion  with  a  living  and  inspir- 
ing Mind  supreme  in  himself.  What  precisely  is  needed  in  a 
model,  in  order  to  bring  home  to  the  soul  the  reality  and  mean- 
ing of  this  relation,  and  open  to  us  this  life  in  God,  I  do  not 
profess  to  define ;  I  only  say  that  it  is  present  in  the  unassail- 
able features  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ,  and  is  in  no  way  con- 
tradicted or  excluded  by  the  human  limits  of  his  knowledge 
and  inheritance  of  misconceptions  characteristic  of  his  nation 
and  his  time.  I  quite  admit,  however,  the  serious  difBculty  of 
saving  and  separating  the  historical  truth  and  essence  which 
form  the  nucleus  of  such  mixed  products  as  the  Gospels.  But 
I  am  convinced  that  it  may  be  done  by  patient  application  of 
the  resources  of  modem  historical  criticism.  But  if  F.  W.  N., 
when  all  is  done,  prefers  Fletcher  of  Madeley  and  his  own 
conscience,  he  has  doubtless  goodness  enough  to  ensure  him 
peace  from  God  and  man." 

The  sermons  on  the  Christianity  of  Paul,  alluded  to  in 
the  preface  to  each  volume  of  the  "  Endeavours,"   were 

141 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

never  printed;  and  as  they  are  still  extant  in  manuscript, 
it  may  be  allowable  in  a  biography  to  give  some  account 
of  this  interesting  series.  There  are  ten  sermons,  which 
were  delivered  on  consecutive  Sundays,  with  one  omission, 
from  January  31  to  April  11,  1841.  They  were  redelivered 
in  Little  Portland  Street  Chapel,  London,  in  the  spring  of 
1863,  and  three  of  them  were  repeated,  on  separate  occa- 
sions, on  Feb.  7,  1869,  Jan.  9,  1870,  and  Oct.  8,  1871. 
Three  of  them  arc  marked  as  altered,  and  one,  on  the  "  Doc- 
trine of  Human  Nature,"  is  almost  rewritten.  Our  extracts 
are  made  from  the  revised  copies. 

The  first  sermon  is  entitled  "  Saul  the  Pharisee,"  and  gives 
an  account  of  the  early  life  of  Saul  and  of  the  influences  which 
helped  to  form  his  mind  and  prepare  him  for  his  Apostolic 
calling.  He  is  placed  in  contrast  with  Peter,  whose  "  whole 
mind  was  of  Judaical  construction,  having  the  narrowness, 
the  force,  the  dogmatism  and  piety  of  his  nation."  Had  the 
cause  of  our  religion  been  left  to  Peter  "  with  the  remainder 
of  the  twelve,  it  would  never  have  burst  the  bounds  of  the 
synagogue,  but  have  perished  among  the  Jewish  sects."  It 
was  Paul  "  who  made  the  posthumous  discovery  of  the  all- 
comprehensive  spirit  and  sublime  relations  of  the  events  that 
had  passed  in  Palestine ;  who  disentangled  the  Divine  and 
pure  elements  of  the  new  faith  from  the  Hebrew  admixture 
that  would  else  have  overwhelmed  it ;  who  by  force  ot  thought 
combined  them  into  a  whole,  and  by  force  of  purpose  pub- 
lished them  from  land  to  land  as  a  universal  religion.  .  .  . 
God  had  given  Syria  to  the  Twelve,  but  the  world  to  Paul." 
This  fact  ought  to  guard  us  against  a  disposition  sometimes 
manifested  to  prefer  the  historical  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment to  the  literary.  The  Gospels  are  not  the  true  fountains 
of  Christian  theology,  but,  with  the  exception  of  the  last,  ex- 
hibit the  exclusive  and  Judaical  version  of  the  history ;  the 
writings  of  Paul  display  the  wide  and  human  interpretation. 
Paul's  foreign  birth  must  have  largely  tempered  his  nationality 
with  Greek  ideas.  He  was  brought  up  to  the  local  occupation 
of  a  tent-maker ;  and  "  the  traffic  could  not  but  bring  the 
young  Hebrew  into  contact  with  travelled  men,  and  give  him 
a  wider  view  of  the  world  than  could  be  had  from  Jerusalem ; 
.with  the  hardy  nomad  chief,  whose  free  and  simple  bearing 

142 


1841]  SERMONS    ON    PAUL 

seemed  to  bring  a  snowy  breath  of  Taurus  into  the  city  heats ; 
with  the  trader  of  the  Levant,  at  home  anywhere  within  the 
Mediterranean  circuit,  and  able  to  tell  of  the  gaiety  of  Corinth, 
the  riches  of  Egypt,  and  the  majesty  of  Rome;  with  the  culti- 
vator of  the  Plain  of  Issus,  who  could  yet  bring  for  the  curious 
antiquarian  a  Macedonian  corselet  or  a  clasp  of  Persian  gold, 
turned  up  by  the  plough  on  the  field  of  the  great  Alexander's 
victory.  Nor  would  the  city  itself  permit  such  a  one  as  Paul 
to  remain  the  mere  narrow-minded  Jew.  Did  he  ask  the  mean- 
ing of  the  altar  on  the  river  bank  ?  It  was  a  memorial  of  the 
Macedonian  conqueror's  gratitude,  who  had  there  plunged  into 
the  cold  waters  of  the  Cydnus  and  had  been  spared  from  the 
fever  incurred  by  so  rash  an  act.  Did  he  look  in  at  the  trophies 
which  crowded  the  open  temple  of  Neptune  ?  They  proclaimed 
the  severities  and  triumphs  of  Pompey,  who  had  swept  the 
pirates  from  the  seas,  and  made  the  tracts  of  the  Levant  feel 
the  vigilance  of  Pvoman  law.  Did  he  pause  to  read  the  vain- 
glorious inscription  in  the  Forum  so  often  ridiculed  by  the 
chieftains  that  came  in  from  the  hills?  It  was  the  self-praise 
of  the  unmilitary  Cicero,  recording  some  petty  discomfiture 
administered  by  the  Proconsul  to  the  pastoral  tribes  of  the 
upland  country.  Nor  had  Tarsus  declined  into  any  state  un- 
worthy of  such  considerable  recollections.  Built  by  the  most 
effeminate  of  Persian  princes,  it  had  become  one  of  the  most 
vigorous  centres  of  Grecian  culture.  Placed  almost  at  the 
angle  between  the  Hellenic  and  purely  Oriental  tribes,  on  one 
of  the  great  highroads  by  land  and  sea  from  Europe  to  the 
East,  the  motley  population  of  its  harbours  and  streets  could 
be  rivalled  by  Alexandria  alone.  Nowhere  but  in  the  Egyp- 
tian capital  and  in  Athens  could  temples  so  numerous  and 
graceful,  libraries  and  museums  so  rich,  and  schools  so  dis- 
tinguished, be  found."  But  while  the  outward  and  perceptive 
nature  of  Saul  opened  itself  to  the  genial  influence  of  a  Pagan 
civilisation,  intellectually  and  at  heart  there  never  was  a  truer 
disciple  of  the  severe  and  sublime  monotheism  of  his  people. 
"  The  ardent  and  generous  soul  of  Saul  could  never  have  found 
rest  among  the  Sadducees,  who  in  their  day  were  much  what 
the  Unitarians  are  reputed  by  enemies  to  be  in  ours ;  cold, 
aristocratic,  few,  believing  as  little  as  they  could,  but  practis- 
ing fairly  their  small  profession."  As  little  would  he  feel  at- 
tracted by  the  "  mechanical  asceticism  and  meditative  piety  of 
the  Essenes."  "  Saul,  needing  a  scope  and  enterprise  of  soul 
afiforded  by  neither  of  these  two,  found  in  the  Pharisaic  sys- 
tem the  means  of  fusing  together  the  energies  of  them  both." 

14^ 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

The  Pharisaic  scheme,  however,  could  not  burst  open  the  law 
to  a  width  that  would  suffice  for  Paul.  "  He  struggled  and 
heaved  ineffectually  beneath  the  repression  of  bald  precept, 
which  did  but  remind  him  of  the  burning  passions  of  his  na- 
ture; but  if  permitted  to  pursue  and  love  the  ideal  of  his 
faith  and  conscience,  would  feel  no  temptation,  and  be  more 
than  conqueror  through  him  that  loved  him.  Restive  and  un- 
happy beneath  a  law  that  watched  him,  he  would  become  glori- 
ous and  faithful  under  an  affection  that  transcended  him." 

The  second  sermon  is  on  "  Paul  the  Convert."  Providence 
postponed  his  call  till  Jesus  had  passed  from  Palestine  to 
Heaven.  "  With  his  restless  energy  and  versatility  of  action, 
and  his  bold  range  and  force  of  thought,  he  could  never  have 
attached  himself  to  the  domestic  prophet  of  Galilee,  content  to 
pass  from  village  to  village  with  healing  mercy  of  v/ord  and 
deed,  to  see  the  most  glorious  power  and  divinest  wisdom  re- 
strained to  the  labourer  of  the  beach  and  field,  and  let  the 
Prince  of  God's  decrees  sink  into  the  shades  of  deepest  hu- 
miliation. .  .  .  He  could  never  resign  himself  to  that  passive- 
ness  of  veneration  by  which  others  clung  to  the  person  of 
Jesus,  or  feel  the  almost  feminine  affection  which  entered  into 
the  allegiance  of  John,"  If  ever  he  had  heard  Christ  "  teach- 
ing in  the  Temple  courts  with  words  of  grace  and  truth,  or 
shrunk  for  a  moment  from  his  rebuke  of  Pharisees  and  hypo- 
crites, or  seen  him  when  he  rode  over  scattered  flowers  through 
the  street,  with  sad  abstracted  look  amid  the  general  acclaim, 
till  the  flash  of  prophecy  kindled  behind  his  tears,  we  can 
imagine  that  the  young  zealot  turned  away  with  a  light  step, 
and  told  the  tale  with  a  contemptuous  lip."  He  was  exasper- 
ated by  the  success  "  of  these  importunate  Galileans,  for  ever 
intruding  their  rude  exhortations,  and  always  ending  with  the 
same  fanatical  tale  about  their  provincial  prophet.  .  .  .  And 
in  proportion  as  he  had  burned  to  give  a  greater  expansion  to 
the  Law  .  .  ,  was  his  mortification  at  the  attempt  to  contract 
It  into  a  mere  Galileanism,  of  origin  so  obscure,  and  character 
so  illiterate,  and  of  hero  so  shameful  in  his  fate."  Hence  he 
was  led  to  separate  himself  from  the  time-serving  counsels  of 
Gamaliel  and  become  the  envoy  of  the  unbelieving  Sadducees. 
His  fury  turned  the  tide  of  public  favour,  and  "  in  the  Sanhe- 
drin  alone  was  there  any  lukewarm  reception  of  all  this  zeal. 
But  there,  too,  was  the  triumph  of  the  young  Pharisee  destined 
to  be  complete.  A  foreign  convert,  who  had  evidently  taken 
the  new  faith  to  heart  from  the  glimpses  he  caught  of  its  uni- 
versal character,  had  been  made  trustee  of  the  Christians'  com- 

144 


1841]  SERMONS    ON    PAUL 

mon  fund  ;  and  not  content  with  this  office,  he  taug;"ht  with 
impassioned  speech  in  the  synagogue  till  light  from  the  soul 
came  out  upon  his  features,  and  made  them  like  those  of  an 
angel.  Catching,  as  by  prophecy,  the  spirit  undisccrned  as 
yet  of  the  religion  he  proclaimed,  he  let  fall  portentous  words 
about  the  law  of  temple-worship,  and  the  exchange  of  Law  for 
love;  and  as  the  inspiration  of  one  faith  is  the  blasphemy  of 
another,  he  was  arraigned  and  hurried  before  the  Sanhedrin 
to  give  in  his  answer  to  the  charge.  Scarcely  had  he  begun, 
before  Saul  and  his  witnesses  had  the  satisfaction  to  perceive 
that  the  case  was  one  to  confirm  the  policy  they  had  pursued, 
and  give  them  a  verdict  even  in  that  lenient  assembly.  Stephen, 
strange  to  the  audience  and  excitable  in  himself,  gave  no  heed 
to  the  particulars  of  the  charge ;  assumed  the  tone,  not  of  de- 
fence, but  of  exhortation,  warming  into  eager  expostulation, 
and  bursting  at  length  into  vehement  rebuke,  the  exasperation 
of  which  no  judicial  assembly  could  endure;  the  persecutor 
saw  it  work ;  the  Gamaliel  Pharisees  became  restless  and  ex- 
cited ;  they  murmured  and  shook  their  heads ;  they  looked  in 
angry  sympathy  at  each  other ;  the  more  irritated  started  from 
their  seats,  and  were  hardly  drawn  down  again.  They  stopped 
their  ears ;  they  gnashed  their  teeth ;  and  rose  at  length  as 
one  man,  and  rushing  from  the  place,  swept  the  prisoner  be- 
fore them  to  the  street,  nor  ever  paused  till  they  had  passed 
the  city  gate  to  the  place  of  tumultuary  death ;  and,  scarcely 
waiting  till  the  witnesses  had  cast  the  first  stone,  hurled  their 
brutal  shower  on  the  martyr's  uplifted  head,  crushing  forth 
thereby  only  a  mild  forgiveness  to  themselves,  and  a  happy 
soul  to  the  embrace  of  Christ."  But  now  that  all  resistance 
from  without  was  withdrawn,  he  began  to  encounter  some 
obstruction  from  within.  "  It  was  impossible  that  to  a  mind 
so  quick  and  powerful  and  a  moral  sense  so  healthy  and  sin- 
cere, images  and  memories,  gathered  from  the  scenes  he  had 
witnessed,  should  not  recur  in  the  pauses  of  reflection,  to  sicken 
his  heart  with  doubt,  —  recur  at  first  in  momentary  snatches, 
gone  with  a  single  pulse  of  thought,  but  soon  with  longer  gaze 
at  him  and  more  frequent  expostulation,  till  they  crowded  on 
him  with  a  torture  which  forced  reflection  to  see  what  they 
were  worth.  He  had  been  from  house  to  house  among  these 
people,  and  overheard  their  domestic  converse  and  their  social 
prayer ;  and  though  the  storm  within  him  drowned  all  impres- 
sions then,  whispers  began  to  reach  him  now  from  the  blessed 
spectacles  to  which  he  had  won  such  fierce  admission ;  sweet 
home  tones  of  love  and  duty  he  had  caught;  low  and  mel- 
10  '145 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

lowed  voices  of  inspired  devotion,  as  if  confiding  all  to  a  God 
close  by ;  gleams,  too,  of  faces  that  returned  his  fiery  glance 
with  a  gaze  most  clear  and  deep,  like  starlight  upon  flame; 
of  silent  embraces,  followed  by  a  few  farewell  words  of  im- 
mortal hope,  when  he  tore  away  the  members  of  families  from 
each  other;  of  constancy,  even  in  women,  so  quiet  as  well  as 
resolute,  that  no  prompting  but  of  Heaven  could  sustain  its 
serenity.  .  ,  ,  That  image  of  Stephen's  last  attitude  and  look, 
the  speaking  enthusiasm  of  his  upturned  features  conversing 
with  an  apparition  viewless  to  flesh  and  blood,  the  burst  of 
invocation  that  told  what  the  vision  was,  the  sublime  prayer 
with  which  the  martyr  collapsed  and  fell,  —  a  prayer  of  which 
Saul  must  have  felt  himsel'f  to  be  the  chief  object,  —  could  not 
but  haunt  a  man  whose  imagination  was  no  despiser  of  visions, 
and  whose  heart  was  alive  to  the  grandeur  of  faith."  Reflec- 
tion on  these  things  drove  him  at  first  to  increased  violence ; 
but,  as  Damascus  came  in  sight,  the  prospect  "  agitated  the 
soul  of  Saul  with  a  tumult  of  dreadful  thoughts.  Was  he  then 
to  be  the  messenger,  to  that  fair  and  glorious  city,  of  death 
that  might  be  murder,  and  murder  that  might  shed  the  blood 
of  saints  ?  Was  he  perhaps  to  find  his  victims  among  the  very 
friends  whom  he  intended  to  visit  ?  Was  he  to  have  the  sight 
of  another  Stephen,  gifted  with  enraptured  visions  in  his  fall  ?  " 
What  was  the  outward  event  we  cannot  tell.  If  his  own  hints 
content  us,  we  must  say  "  that  the  vision  was  personal,  lonely, 
and  unshared,  a  revelation  of  the  Son  of  God  within  him ;  a 
consciousness  of  communion  opened  with  one  whom  he  had 
vainly  tried  to  persecute,  and  was  henceforth  to  serve."  The 
new  faith,  as  exhibited  by  the  believers  at  Damascus,  "  had  too 
much  of  Judaic  exclusiveness,  and  made  too  little  use  of  its 
glorious  elements  of  spiritual  power,  to  fill  the  aspirations  of 
the  new  disciple  " ;  and  so  he  withdrew  into  Arabia,  probably 
to  Petra,  and  there  he  "  wrought  out  that  sublime  revolution 
which  converted  him  into  the  Apostle  of  all  nations." 

The  third  sermon,  on  "  Paul's  ^lessiah,"  contrasts  his  view 
with  that  of  the  original  Apostles.  Theirs  was  largely  founded 
on  personal  attachment  to  their  Lord,  which  blended  a  soften- 
ing element  of  friendship  with  their  faith,  and  made  it  a  devel- 
opment from  their  affections  rather  than  their  understanding. 
It  transformed  their  tastes,  spiritualised  their  conscience,  and 
exalted  their  reason :  "  but  if  it  preserved  the  love,  it  pre- 
served also  the  prejudices  of  their  first  discipleship."  Their 
thoughts  still  ran  on  the  temporal  sway  of  the  Messiah,  which 
was  only  postponed  till  his  return ;   and  they  admitted  to  the 

146 


1841]  SERiMONS    ON    PAUL 

promised  glory  only  the  children  of  Abraham,  and  the  few 
who  would  adopt  the  Mosaic  yoke.  Paul  yearned  for  some- 
thing more  comprehensive  than  this  gospel  of  the  synagogue. 
"  Jesus  was  to  him  not  a  Galilean  peasant,  but  a  heavenly  ideal. 
He  had  not  known  him,  unless  in  aversion,  during  his  earthly 
and  local  ministry,  when  he  had  on  him  the  traces  of  national 
birth,  and  legal  obligations,  and  a  limited  mission ;  but  only  as 
an  immortal,  escaped  from  the  relations  of  lineage  and  clime, 
and  resident  in  that  world  where  law  and  temple  are  not 
found."  To  a  modern  Christian,  whose  whole  faith  is  histori- 
cal, the  most  remarkable  feature  in  the  Apostle's  theory  of  the 
Messiah  is  "  its  entire  prospectiveness."  The  events  that  had 
taken  place  were  but  "  the  successive  preludes  to  the  real  ad- 
vent, and  our  Apostle  stands  in  the  attitude  not  of  one  watch- 
ing the  receding  steps  of  divine  events,  and  seeking  to  preserve 
their  vestiges,  but  of  one  vigilant  for  some  sacred  glory  about 
to  be  revealed."  Of  such  small  account  did  he  consider  the 
recent  ministry  in  Palestine  "  that  he  never  informed  himself 
of  its  contents ;  he  asked  no  questions  of  the  Apostles  who  had 
witnessed  it,  intimated  no  sorrow  that  he  had  not  shared  their 
privileges,  and  repeatedly  affirmed  that  they  had  enjoyed  not 
the  least  advantage  over  him."  Jesus  "  is  presented  every- 
where, not  as  a  person,  but  as  an  idea;  as  the  invisible  reali- 
sation of  a  great  Providential  scheme,  in  which  the  forms  of 
his  existence  rather  than  its  spirit,  his  lineage,  his  death,  his 
ascension,  rather  than  his  mind,  are  the  essentials  " ;  and  this 
arose  from  the  confident  expectation  of  his  return.  The  ser- 
mon then  shows  at  length  how  this  characteristic  pervades  the 
Apostle's  writing.  The  fact  that  he  thus  began  from  the  heav- 
enly, the  other  Apostles  from  the  earthly  sphere,  determines 
the  different  compass  of  their  theology.  "  Reasoning  back- 
wards from  that  celestial  figure,  he  found  a  function  which 
escaped  the  rest,  for  the  earthly  ministry  of  Christ ;  and  in  his 
cross  especially,  over  which  the  others  hastily  stepped  to  reach 
the  resurrection,  he  saw  a  primary  significance  that  made  it 
the  very  crisis  of  history;  and  in  his  person  a  compendium 
of  our  double  nature,  lifted  through  struggling  elements  into 
divine  simplicity  at  last ;  and  in  his  glorified  lot,  a  discharge 
of  all  the  limits  of  lineage  and  law,  in  favour  of  a  purely 
spiritual  City  of  God." 

The  next  two  sermons  are  on  "  Paul  the  Missionary,"  and 
are  so  largely  biographical  that  they  need  not  be  followed  in 
detail.  Mr.  Martineau  thinks  that  Paul's  views  were  more 
slowly  developed  than  they  naturally  appeared  to  himself  to 

147 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

be.  when  he  looked  back  upon  their  formation  in  his  advanced 
years.  He  accepts  the  supposition  that  the  Apostle  escaped 
Nero's  persecution,  and  was  spared  to  visit  Crete  and  even 
Spain,  and  he  says,  "  it  is  not  till  the  thirty-second  year  from 
his  conversion  that  he  is  thought,  on  the  doubtful  authority  of 
traditions  preserved  by  Dionysius  of  Corinth  and  Jerome,  to 
have  been  thrown,  with  Peter,  into  the  imprisonment  so  aflfect- 
ingly  mentioned  in  the  second  letter  to  Timothy,  —  an  impris- 
onment from  which  he  was  delivered,  as  a  Roman  citizen,  by 
the  sword  of  the  executioner,  and  his  campanion,  as  a  Galilean, 
by  the  ignominious  but  now  consecrated  cross."  He  believes 
that  the  work  which  Paul  had  done  at  Ephesus  fell  to  the 
charge  of  John,  who,  he  says,  "  when  Mary's  time  was  over, 
spent  his  age  within  this  place,  and,  I  fear  we  must  say, 
brought  a  Judaic  reaction  on  this  greatest  of  the  apocalyptic 
churches,  and  wiped  out  the  very  name  of  Paul,  to  wait  the 
appreciation  of  a  calmer  and  more  catholic  age." 

An  eloquent  description,  of  which  a  portion  may  be  quoted, 
is  given  of  the  difficulties  which  had  to  be  encountered  in 
spreading  Christianity  throughout  the  Roman  empire :  *'  No 
modern  imagination  can  adequately  represent  to  itself  the  diffi- 
culties which  Christianity  encountered  and  vanquished  in  its 
struggle  with  ancient  Paganism.  We  naturally  compare  the 
enterprise  with  the  missionary  labours  of  our  own  times ;  and 
seeing  that  the  united  zeal  of  Christendom,  with  all  the  wealth 
of  the  established  hierarchies,  and  the  energy  of  its  awakened 
people,  scarcely  produces  in  centuries  any  impression  on  the 
domains  of  foreign  superstition,  we  are  struck  with  wonder 
at  the  prowess  of  that  solitary  Apostle  who,  in  half  a  life, 
shook  the  fabric  of  polytheism  from  its  foundation.  We  think, 
too,  of  the  geographical  diffusion  of  the  Gospel,  and  looking 
at  its  unnoticed  infancy,  in  the  hamlets  of  the  meanest  province 
and  most  abject  population  of  the  world,  are  astonished  to  find 
it,  ere  one  generation  has  passed  away,  in  living  operation  from 
the  Euphrates  to  the  Rhone.  Yet  in  this  we  see  only  the  small- 
est part  of  the  conquest  effected  by  our  religion.  ...  By 
simply  being  Christians,  we  are  disqualified  for  apprehending 
the  great  work  that  has  made  us  so;  and,  with  a  holy  modesty, 
our  faith  silently  educates  us  into  a  state  of  mind  which  con- 
ceals from  us  the  wonders  of  her  earthly  achievements.  We 
think  of  religion  as  essentially  spiritual  and  universal,  involv- 
ing relations  common  to  every  class  and  clime,  between  God 
and  the  spirit  of  man.  .  .  .  But  to  this  whole  system  of  thought 
the  nations  of  the  old  world  were  utter  strangers.     With  them 

148 


I84X]  SERMONS    ON    PAUL 

religion  was  no  disembodied  spirit,  dwelling  above  the  rela- 
tions of  time  and  place,  or  penetrating  them  all ;  it  was  no  ab- 
stract truth,  belonging  to  any  mind  that  could  apprehend  it, 
but  an  ingredient  of  national  tradition,  the  unwritten  lore  of  a 
sacred  antiquity,  the  mystic  cloud  of  glory  out  of  which  the 
actual  heroes  and  sages,  parents  of  a  people's  pride  and  great- 
ness, came  in  perspective  forth  with  shapes  more  and  more 
definite  and  human.  It  was  an  integral  and  indissoluble  part 
of  the  very  existence  of  each  tribe,  and  even  the  physical  as- 
pect of  each  country,  forming  the  essence  of  every  local  legend, 
and  having  tales  to  tell  of  every  tangled  glen,  or  hollow  shore, 
or  hidden  cave,  or  mountain's  fantastic  form,  the  acknowl- 
edged source  of  law,  of  polity,  and  letters ;  the  ally  of  liberty, 
and  the  creator  of  art.  It  was  no  matter  of  opinion,  but  of  in- 
heritance. .  .  .  To  ask  the  Greek  to  renounce  his  religion  was 
to  ask  him  to  disown  his  parentage,  to  expatriate  himself,  to 
become  a  man  without  a  history,  to  strip  his  country  naked  to 
its  geology,  and  to  blot  out  the  poetry  of  his  life.  And  if  you 
could  even  effect  so  vast  a  revolution  in  his  modes  of  thought 
as  to  persuade  him  that  it  was  his  duty  thus  to  lay  down  all 
the  accidents  of  his  nature,  and  stand  up,  a  man  alone  with 
God,  the  practical  difficulties  of  executing  this  conviction  were 
great  beyond  description.  .  .  .  And  when  we  remember  that 
all  this  system  of  social  life  was  to  be  penetrated  and  evange- 
lised by  men  nurtured  in  culture  every  way  lower,  exhibiting 
a  form  of  mind  in  itself  wholly  unfit  to  conciliate  the  respect 
and  compete  with  the  acuteness  of  Heathenism ;  when  we 
compare  the  narrow  world  of  thought  in  which  they  had  lived 
with  the  various  life,  the  vast  scale,  the  refined  influences  of 
Greek  or  Roman  society ;  when  we  consider  that  their  posi- 
tion, as  missionaries  among  tribes  of  vastly  superior  civilisa- 
tion, was  not  less  anomalous  than  that  of  a  Chinese  sent  over 
to  turn  Great  Britain  to  Confucius,  we  shall  appreciate  the  in- 
herent force  of  that  religion  by  which  the  wisdom  of  God  over- 
came the  foolishness  of  men." 

The  following  passage  will  indicate  Mr.  IMartineau's  high 
appreciation  of  the  Apostle,  while  frankly  recognising  what 
w^as  transient  in  the  form  of  the  Pauline  Gospel :  "  In  this 
temper,  with  this  high  courage,  did  he  go  round  the  open 
countries  of  the  world ;  with  mind  amid  the  churches  below, 
and  spirit  with  Christ  above;  looking  down  from  that  station 
on  the  breathing  earth  and  the  fellowship  of  men  with  an  eye 
of  divine  pity,  yet  mingling  in  the  meanest  scene  with  a  heart 
of  human  sympathy.    At  the  end  of  twenty  years  of  peril  and 

149 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

toil,  the  force  of  God  within  him  was  not  crushed  out  by  the 
violence  and  pressure  of  the  hostile  world ;  and  though  the 
tone  of  his  writings  is  more  quiet  and  even  sad,  the  vigour  of 
his  hand  is  unrelaxed.  .  .  .  Conquerors  of  empire  seldom  leave 
trophies  so  wide  and  durable  as  his ;  they  may  multiply  temples, 
he  built  up  a  faith ;  they  may  found  cities,  he  bequeathed  the 
civilisation  to  fill  and  ennoble  them.  From  Damascus  to 
the  rock  of  Gibraltar,  he  left  a  chain  of  churches,  spanning  the 
length  of  the  Mediterranean,  to  testify  to  his  energy  and  faith ; 
to  grow  amid  the  decay  of  Europe ;  to  rise  with  freshened 
power  from  the  shock  of  nations  and  the  extinction  of  ancient 
culture;  to  nurse  the  noble  tribe  of  hardy  Germans  into  glori- 
ous life,  and  bring  together  the  mighty  concourse  that  in  a 
hundred  lands  worship  God  in  Christ  this  day." 

Four  sermons  follow,  containing  an  exposition  of  Paul's 
doctrine  of  Human  Nature,  of  the  Cross,  of  the  Divine  Gov- 
ernment, of  the  Church  and  the  Sacraments.  His  mature 
view  of  much  of  Paul's  teaching  is  contained  in  "  The  Seat 
of  Authority,"  and  here  a  condensed  abstract  must  suffice. 
Having  vindicated  the  freedom  of  the  will,^  Mr.  Martineau 
observes  that  Paul  "  has  become  the  source  of  all  the  modern 
forms  of  the  predestinarian  doctrine  " ;  but  the  ascription  of 
this  view  to  him  has  "  very  little  foundation."  For  he  sought 
to  adjust  the  relations  of  the  completed  history  of  Christ  to 
the  great  classes  into  which  his  faith  divided  mankind,  and 
to  detect  the  mighty  Rule  that  extended  from  the  beginning  to 
the  end.  That  his  view  of  responsibility  is  not  different  from 
Christ's  is  apparent  when  he  touches  on  the  personal  obliga- 
tions of  individuals  rather  than  the  historical  functions  of 
classes,  the  providential  results  of  collective  agency  being  often 
quite  different  from  anything  consciously  contemplated  by  the 
agents.  According  to  Paul's  teaching,  the  knowledge  of  God 
is  inherent  in  the  natural  mind ;  and  more  primitive  than  the 
recognition  of  the  Deity  without  is  the  consciousness  of  some- 
thing holier  than  human  judgment  moving  within,  so  that  all 
know  that  they  ought  to  love  God  and  serve  his  will.  But 
below  the  serene  heights  of  thought  "  lies  a  fouler  region 
turbid  with  doubts  and  self,  and  charged  with  earthly  pas- 
sion " ;  and  hence  man  experiences  "  a  wild  and  preternatural 
struggle  of  temptation."     Nevertheless  it  is  in  the  higher  in- 


^  This  sermon  is  marked  as  "  almost  rewritten,"  and  accordingly  the  special 
teaching  may  belong  to  the  year  1871.  The  part  dealing  with  the  will  is  pre- 
fixed to  the  original  sermon. 


I84I]  SERMONS    ON    PAUL 

gredient  that  Paul  finds  the  genuine  and  properly  character- 
istic constituent  of  human  nature.  "  That  which  the  Gospel 
assumes  then  to  be  defective  in  human  nature  is  not  the  want 
of  holy  knozvlcdgc,  but  the  want  of  holy  zvill."  The  causes  of 
this  strife  are  found  not  simply  in  personal  unfaithfulness,  but 
in  a  defect  of  power  inherent  in  the  very  material  of  which 
man  is  moulded.  "  The  carnal  element  of  our  nature  carries 
in  it  the  inherent  taint  of  *  sin,'  —  a  turbid  colouring  of  origi- 
nal evil,  prior  to  any  positive  and  conscious  transgression" 
The  opposite  of  this  is  Spirit,  which  carries  all  the  affirmative 
powers  which  our  carnal  infirmity  excludes.  "  To  metamor- 
phose man  from  flesh  into  spirit,  not  by  ethical  conviction,  but 
by  supernatural  reconstitution,  was,  in  the  Apostle's  view,  the 
whole  end  of  the  Gospel  economy."  There  is  a  secret  sadness, 
unknown  to  innocence,  at  every  heart ;  and  accordingly  union 
with  God  must  proceed  from  the  good  pleasure  of  God,  not 
from  the  qualifications  of  man.  Law  and  precept  only  make 
matters  worse,  having  no  productive  force.  "  Wisely  then  did 
God  take  occasion  from  the  sinlessness  of  Christ  ...  to  offer 
him  to  human  faith  and  affection,  rather  than  fresh  injunctions 
to  the  human  conscience ;  wisely  did  he  read  the  hearts  of  his 
children  when  he  resolved  to  try  love  instead  of  law.  .  .  .  He 
that  can  be  taken  out  of  himself,  and  forget  not  only  his  worth- 
less cares  but  his  moral  solicitudes,  and  be  drawn  away  into 
a  loftier  region  by  the  attraction  of  another's  heavenly  mind, 
shall  complain  no  more  of  want  of  will,  but  find  his  heart,  thus 
brought  at  last  to  simplicity  and  love,  endowed  with  a  strength 
not  felt  before.  .  .  .  Strength  is  born  to  the  Christian  out  of 
silence;  and  the  soul,  still  as  the  mountain  solitudes  and  pure 
as  its  snows,  comes  melted  down  upon  the  world  with  the  force 
of  the  torrent  and  the  fertility  of  the  lake."  And  if  aspiration 
is  still  in  advance  of  achievement,  the  conscience,  having  found 
its  union  with  God,  learns  to  trust  him  for  the  rest,  and  believe 
his  love  greater  than  its  guilt. 

To  understand  Paul's  Doctrine  of  the  Cross  we  must  put 
ourselves  back  to  the  point  of  view  at  which  the  writer  stood. 
To  him  the  Messianic  mission  was  still  future.  In  what  light, 
then,  would  he  naturally  regard  the  Messiah's  death  ?  To  an- 
swer this  we  must  consider  what,  in  his  view,  would  have  hap- 
pened if  Christ  had  not  died.  The  Galilean  ministry  would  have 
lost  its  preliminary  character ;  and  the  foes  of  the  Messiah,  that 
is,  nearly  the  whole  of  mankind,  would  have  been  already  de- 
stroyed. Their  rescue,  therefore,  was  to  be  ascribed  to  the 
delay  occasioned  by  Christ's  death.     Had  the  IMessiah  pro- 

151 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

cured  this  delay  by  hiding  himself  for  a  time,  his  mission 
would  still  have  been  confined  to  Israel;  but  by  death  he  de- 
stroyed the  limiting  conditions  of  lineage  and  clime.  The  al- 
ternative, therefore,  presented  itself  to  the  mind  of  Paul  that, 
if  Christ  had  not  died,  the  Gentiles,  as  aliens  from  the  com- 
monwealth of  Israel,  must  have  perished.  This  doctrine  might 
be  shared  by  Peter  or  James.  But  while  they  excused  the  cross 
as  the  condition  of  the  resurrection,  Paul  gloried  in  it,  and 
"  found  all  the  lines  of  Providence  shooting  through  the  ages 
to  converge  upon  it.  This  further  conception  was  founded  on 
a  doctrine  of  Incarnation  and  twofold  nature  in  Christ  of 
which  there  is  no  trace  in  the  attendants  on  the  historical 
Jesus."  It  is  obvious  that  this  whole  system  of  language  be- 
longs to  parties  and  relations  long  since  extinct,  being  founded 
on  the  obsolete  expectation  of  a  personal  and  speedy  return  of 
the  Messiah  to  reign  on  the  earth.  But  gracious  and  beautiful 
truths  have  come  out  of  these  temporary  conceptions,  and  in- 
deed "  lurk  secretly  among  them  in  the  Apostle's  noble  writ- 
ings, impregnating  them  with  life  the  most  imperishable  and 
power  the  most  creative." 

The  Divine  Government  was  founded  on  a  certain  primary 
intent,  for  which  this  earth  had  been  created.  The  world  was 
designed  as  a  tenancy  for  a  race  of  immortal  men.  But  there 
were  moral  considerations  which  placed  th-e  problem  under 
certain  restraining  limits.  None  but  the  holy  could  be  im- 
mortal, and  none  could  be  holy  who  were  not  free.  The  first 
parents  were  not  really  free ;  for  being  formed  of  earthly 
material,  they  carried  in  them  the  native  evil  and  incapacity 
of  the  flesh.  The  only  consequence  entailed  by  the  fall  on  suc- 
ceeding generations  was  their  removal  from  the  tree  of  life, 
and  abandonment  to  their  natural  mortality.  To  keep  alive 
in  men  the  idea  of  a  plan  which  was  by  no  means  baffled,  God 
selected  one  race,  in  whose  line  he  absolutely  promised  that 
the  scheme  should  be  fulfilled ;  and,  conditionally  on  their  ob- 
serving the  required  terms,  the  whole  tribe  was  to  have  the 
benefits  of  the  restoration.  The  criterion  to  which  they  were 
exposed  was  a  new  Law;  but  when  the  hour  of  accomplish- 
ment arrived,  the  Restorer  was  rejected  and  crucified.  The 
trial  being  ended,  "  Israel  must  lapse  convicted  into  the  herd 
of  nations."  Christ,  however,  had  remained  sinless,  and  so 
reversed  the  case  of  Adam,  and  realised  the  Creator's  concep- 
tion of  a  man.  This  sinlessness  was  due,  not  only  to  his  per- 
sonal will,  but  to  the  fact  that  he  was  "  spirit "  before  he  was 
born  in  the  flesh,  "  the  heavenly  model  of  that  humanity  of 

152 


I84I]  SERMONS    ON    PAUL 

which  Adam  was  the  earthly  type ;  the  '  Son  of  God,'  consti- 
tuted of  that  deathless  essence,  identical  with  the  Divine,  which 
is  the  native  seat  of  holiness.  ...  In  this  its  real  form  our 
humanity  had  passed  through  all  the  conditions  of  sin  without 
its  taint,  and  experienced  its  mortal  penalty  without  being  held 
by  it.  He,  to  whom  it  was  not  due,  having  endured  what  was 
due  to  us,  God  responds  by  letting  his  spiritual  nature  spread 
to  us,  and  making  us  a  present  of  a  righteousness  we  could 
never  win."  The  righteousness,  thus  begun  in  fiction,  would 
end  in  fact,  the  way  being  open  for  the  trial  of  a  nobler  influ- 
ence, and  the  spirit  of  heavenly  love  availing  to  sanctify  those 
whom  fear  and  stringent  precept  had  addressed  in  vain.  It 
was  only  past  guilt  that  was  overlooked ;  responsibility  for 
the  future  remained.  This  was  "  a  plan  foreseen  in  all  its  re- 
lations, adjusted  in  all  its  issues  frorti  the  first;  its  duration 
measured  with  infinite  exactitude;  its  seeming  failure  essen- 
tial to  its  final  triumph ;  the  parties  in  it  predestined,  and  their 
parts  discerned  as  integral  elements  in  the  series."  The  fore- 
election,  however,  is  applied  only  to  classes  of  persons,  and 
not  to  individuals ;  and  with  faith  in  the  divine  prescience 
Paul  unites  the  persuasion  of  the  moral  freedom  of  man.  In 
the  theology  of  Paul  God  could  not  prevent  the  aberrations 
of  men  without  abandoning  the  whole  principle  of  a  moral 
judgment.  If  it  be  said  that  God  might  have  prevented  the 
sinner  from  coming  into  existence,  "  the  force  of  this  rejoin- 
der is  destroyed  by  the  Apostle's  entire  silence  respecting  any 
of  the  dreadful  punishments  beyond  the  grave  whereby,  if  the 
common  theory  were  true,  the  guilty  life  might  be  predomi- 
nantly a  curse."     The  due  penalty  is  limited  to  simple  death. 

Once  possessed  of  the  conception  of  an  invisible  fraternity 
of  the  good,  subsisting  amid  the  ills  of  the  world,  it  is  impos- 
sible for  us  not  to  desire  that  it  should  be  rendered  perceptible 
to  the  eye  as  well  as  to  the  mind,  and  that  the  dispersed  mem- 
bers of  the  blessed  brotherhood  should  convert  their  uncon- 
scious affinity  into  an  association  consciously  existing.  This, 
when  realised,  gives  us  the  genuine  idea  of  a  Church,  —  "  an 
idea  which,  thus  interpreted,  is  the  special  and  glorious  gift  of 
Christianity."  Paul's  conception  of  a  Church  agrees  in  its 
essential  spirit  with  our  own ;  but  "  while  the  spirit  of  his 
thoughts  is  incapable  of  ever  becoming  obsolete,  their  form 
belongs  entirely  to  his  age,  and  was  affected  by  the  peculiarity 
and  imperfections  of  his  theory  of  the  Messiah."  He  was  not 
providing  for  a  distant  future,  but  only  for  the  small  remnant 
of  years  before  the  end  of  the  world;    and  his  object  was  to 

153 


PARADISE    STREET  [1841 

bring  into  visible  communion  those  whom  God  had  already  re- 
served for  the  Messiah's  kingdom,  "  to  frame  an  incorporated 
coll-Ci^c  of  Immortals;  some  of  whom  might  fall  asleep  ere  the 
promised  privilege  were  given ;  but  most  would  altogether 
escape  the  Death-law,  and  find  their  mortality  swallowed  up  in 
life."  The  mode  of  admission  to  this  community  was  Baptism, 
of  which  the  preliminary  condition  was  simply  faith  in  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  as  the  Christ,  and  a  willingness  to  die  to  all  earthly 
things  for  his  sake.  This  was  followed  by  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  "  What  precisely  this  Spirit  was ;  .  .  .  what  were  its 
outward  marks  and  inward  experiences,  are  questions  of  the 
deepest  interest,  but  of  the  most  hopeless  uncertainty,"  We 
cannot  decipher  the  mystic  secrets  of  God-like  souls ;  for 
"  nothing  spiritual,  nothing  holy,  nothing  belonging  to  the 
highest  order  of  truth  and  beauty,  admits  of  being  defined, 
and  by  the  very  attempt  loses  its  character  at  once  and  be- 
comes something  else ;  and  as  for  the  consciousness  of  God 
within  the  soul,  the  understanding  can  no  more  comprehend 
it  than  the  tree  can  tear  itself  up  and  look  into  its  own  roots." 

The  Lord's  Supper  served  to  express  the  brotherhood  of  the 
believers,  to  link  them  to  the  object  of  their  faith  in  Heaven, 
and  to  span  the  years  from  their  Lord's  humiliation  to  his  glori- 
ous return.  It  was  a  fraternal  meeting  for  the  evening  meal ; 
"  with  no  authoritative  president  and  no  consecrating  hand ; 
and  without  any  mystic  magic  in  the  elements,  except  what 
lies  in  all  the  symbolism  of  reverence  and  love."  The  signifi- 
cance of  Baptism  has  quite  ceased,  but  the  essential  idea  of 
the  Lord's  Supper  remains  undisturbed.  "  The  reminiscence 
of  the  perfect  Christ,  the  brotherhood  of  all  his  followers,  the 
hope  of  the  everlasting  Heaven  are  ours  .  .  .  and  must  abide 
with  the  Church  while  any  trust  in  God,  and  love  and  sanctity, 
and  faith  in  immortality  remain." 

The  concluding  sermon  on  "  Paul  in  Christendom  "  speaks 
of  the  efifect  of  the  Apostle's  preaching  on  the  world.  Three 
leading  conceptions  are  selected  for  remark.  First,  he  has 
brought  home  to  the  consciousness  of  Christian  times  "  a  sense 
of  the  moral  impotency  of  the  human  will."  The  needed  power 
must  "  proceed  from  a  new  affection,  so  deep,  so  pure,  so  en- 
trancing, as  to  bring  us  back  to  that  self-oblivion  which  guilt 
had  destroyed,  .  .  .  and  surprise  us  into  devotedness  to  some 
fresh  object  of  confidence  and  love."  "  It  is  the  characteristic 
of  the  regeneration  to  which  a  high  faith  and  love  like  that  of 
Christ  conduct  the  mind,  that  the  disciple  converses  eye  to  eye 
with  the  highest  vision  of  sanctity,  grows  into  spontaneous 

154 


1847]      POLITICAL   ECONOMY   LECTURES 

congfeniality  with  it,  and  aspires  to  immediate  identity  with  it. 
And  to  this  intentness  of  soul,  abandoning  itself  utterly  to  him, 
God  gives  a  glorious  success ;  his  own  divinest  spirit  comes  in 
as  an  ally,  and  he  is  felt  to  unite  himself  benignly  with  the  pro- 
foundest  deeps  of  the  willing  conscience.  He  is  everywhere 
working  within  us  then  to  will  and  to  do.  This  great  moral 
truth,  of  the  emancipating  energy  of  the  unconscious  affec- 
tions and  the  feebleness  of  the  self-interested  will,  is  the  right 
interpretation  of  the  doctrine  of  Justification  by  Faith  and  the 
impotence  of  Law."  Secondly,  to  Paul  must  be  attributed  the 
pervading  sense  of  the  mystery  of  the  Divine  Decrees.  "  The 
idea  of  responsibility  is  too  deeply  cut  into  the  very  substance 
of  Christianity  to  vanish  from  any  of  its  forms.  And  this  being 
the  case,  it  is  an  unspeakable  good  that  the  mystery  of  fore- 
knowledge is  thrown  out  to  awe  the  heart.  It  is  well  that  we 
should  feel  our  life  to  be  the  meeting-point  of  Free-will  and  of 
Necessity;  that  we  should  be  impelled  to  act,  yet  brought  to 
suffer;  that  with  our  hand  we  should  go  forth  and  conquer, 
and  in  our  heart  lie  still  and  obey.  It  is  needful,  I  believe,  to 
the  depth  and  loftiness  of  the  character  that  this  solemn  mys- 
tery should  be  felt,  brooding  over  us  with  its  palpable  dark- 
ness, breaking  up  our  vain  self-confidence,  and  drawing  us  to 
the  shelter  of  the  everlasting  God."  Lastly,  Paul  has  "  placed 
the  world  and  life  on  the  felt  verge  and  confines  of  immor- 
tality. .  .  .  We  owe  to  him  that  glorious  mountain  view  of 
our  existence,  with  the  little  hospice  of  life  in  the  foreground 
and  the  far  landscape  of  infinite  being  beyond,  interspersed 
with  the  broad  shadows  of  a  Divine  protection  and  the  still 
lakes  of  an  everlasting  peace." 

In  1847  ^^  interesting  event  occurred  which  deserves  a 
moment's  notice.  Mr.  Martineau  was  invited  to  deliver 
a  course  of  lectures  on  Political  Economy  in  the  Room  at- 
tached to  Cross  Street  Chapel,  Manchester,  so  that  they 
might  be  heard  by  young  men  who  were  desirous  of  study- 
ing the  subject,  but  were  unable  to  attend  his  classes  at  the 
College.  The  fee  for  the  course  was  fixed  at  six  guineas, 
and  the  audience  was  composed  of  sixteen  young  men, 
chiefly  engaged  in  commercial  pursuits.  Among  them  was 
one  of  the  clerks  in  an  office  in  the  tow^n,  who  took  notes, 
and  then  redelivered  the  course  to  several  of  his  friends 

155 


PARADISE    STREET  [1848 

who  had  subscribed  for  his  attendance,  Air.  Walter  Ashton 
was  one  of  those  who  availed  themselves  of  this  oppor- 
tunity; and  in  a  letter  of  April  10,  1900,  he  says:  "Mr. 
Martineau  used  to  remain  at  the  College  till  the  evening, 
and  with  his  black  bag  full  of  books,  and  slung  on  his 
umbrella  over  his  shoulder,  he  would  trudge  along  down  Ox- 
ford Road  to  the  Chapel  vestry.^  I  remember  as  distinctly 
as  if  it  were  yesterday,  on  my  way  to  the  Lecture,  offering 
to  carry  his  bag,  which  he  declined,  regarding  the  matter 
as  trifling.  And  when  the  Lecture  was  over  (about  8 
o'clock)  he  would  shoulder  his  bag  again,  and  trudge 
cheerily  along  to  Victoria  Station  on  his  way  home  to 
Liverpool." 

In  February,  1848,  the  "  Prospective  Review"  contained, 
under  the  title  of  "  Philosophical  Christianity  in  France,"  ^ 
a  criticism  of  a  work  by  Athanase  Coquerel.  A  quotation 
may  be  given,  showing  once  more  that  Mr.  Martineau's 
religion  was  not  the  result  of  intellectual  discussion,  but 
rested  on  a  basis  of  its  own :  "  We  are  fully  alive  to  the 
importance  of  harmonising  faith  and  science,  so  long  as  each 
retains  its  own  ground,  its  own  method,  its  own  language. 
But  we  do  not  love  to  see  religion  playing  the  lackey  to 
philosophy ;  aping  its  pomps,  assuming  its  livery,  and  stand- 
ing behind  its  chair,"  Another  passage  expresses  his  con- 
ception of  the  nature  of  Christianity :  "  We  are  content 
to  receive  at  the  hands  of  Christianity  the  pure  truths  of 
natural  piety,  cleared  from  all  that  oppresses  and  degrades 
them.  We  receive  these,  however,  through  the  mind  of 
Christ,  and  deeply  coloured  by  the  transmission.  His  divine 
life  has  disclosed  a  fresh  image  and  ideal  of  human  per- 
fection;— changed  and  raised  the  standard  of  aspiration; — 
and,  above  all,  furnished  a  new  type,  representative  of  God, 


^  It  was  not  the  vestry,  but  a  larger  room  which  was  used  for  classes  and 
other  purposes. 

^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 


1848]  NEW    CHURCH    BEGUN 

and  determining  the  spirit  of  every  heavenly  hope.  In  this, 
his  personal  occupancy  of  our  reverential  and  trustful  affec- 
tions, has  consisted,  we  believe,  the  essential  power  of 
Christianity." 

On  Tuesday,  the  9th  of  May,  1848,  the  foundation  stone 
of  the  new  church  in  Hope  Street  was  laid,  in  the  presence 
of  a  large  assemblage,  some  five  hundred  ladies  and  gentle- 
men, by  Mr.  Thomas  Bolton.  There  was  an  hour's  delay 
during  the  preparation  of  the  stone,  which  had  only  arrived 
by  rail  that  morning  from  Bath;  but  the  glorious  weather 
and  the  comfortable  sitting-accommodation  which  had  been 
provided  enabled  the  spectators  to  spend  the  time  with 
equanimity.  After  the  stone  had  been  laid  Mr.  Martineau 
delivered  an  address,  which  was  fully  reported  in  "  The 
Christian  Reformer,"  and  \vas  reprinted  along  with  the 
farewell  sermon.  He  declared,  while  elaborating  each 
thought  in  his  own  choice  language,  that  they  dedicated 
the  church  to  no  priestly  offices,  to  no  individual's  teaching, 
to  no  creed.  In  regard  to  the  last  point  he  said  that  it  was 
plainly  the  law  of  Providence  that  there  should  be  a  per- 
petual change  in  the  forms  under  which  the  same  indestruc- 
tible ideas  operated  in  our  nature,  and  it  was  "  time  that 
this  should  be  openly  recognised  as  fact,  and  allowed  for  in 
our  provisions  for  the  future."  Nevertheless  they  were  not 
"  individually  without  definite  belief,  or,  collectively,  with- 
out a  belief  strongly  marked  by  common  characteristics." 
They  were  raising,  "  not  a  school,  but  a  church ;  not  a  hall 
of  debate,  but  a  shrine  of  God  " ;  and  "  for  this  end  there 
must  be  a  faith  in  each  not  wandering  far  from  the  faith 
of  all.  Only  where  there  is  essentially  one  heart  and  mind 
can  the  many  find  themselves  represented  by  the  breathings 
of  a  single  spirit.  We  do  not  look,  therefore,  for  the  pres- 
ence of  various  creeds  together;  we  simply  offer  no  hin- 
drance to  their  appearing  successively."  He  and  his  hearers 
were  Unitarians ;  but  to  stamp  the  church  with  "  such  doc- 

157 


PARADISE    STREET  [1848 

trinal  name  would  be  to  perform  an  act  of  posthumous 
expulsion  against  many  noble  dead  whom  it  is  an  honour 
to  revere;  and  perhaps  to  provoke  against  ourselves,  from 
a  future  age,  the  retribution  of  a  like  excommunication." 
On  the  positive  side,  he  said  that  in  whatever  way  men 
owned  the  authority,  and  found  the  aliment,  of  devout  con- 
victions and  aspirations,  and  associated  for  the  expression 
of  them,  there  was  a  Church ;  and  that  was  specifically  a 
Christian  Church  which  accepted  Jesus  of  Nazareth  as 
(under  the  limitations  of  humanity)  the  realisation  of  this 
ideal,  "  the  blending  point  of  historical  fact  and  divine 
perfection."  "  In  a  word,  then,"  he  said,  "  we  unite  for 
advancement  of  the  Christian  Life.  The  whole  sphere  of 
our  thought  we  would  bring  into  harmony  with  the  image 
of  Christ's  mind :  in  our  worship,  looking  up  through  it 
to  God;  in  our  efforts  of  will,  lifting  ever  nearer  to  it  both 
ourselves  and  the  world."  In  this  attempt  there  was  nothing 
exclusive;  and  in  the  cluster  of  neighbouring  churches  they 
discerned  only  a  fraternity  of  coadjutors  whose  work,  —  a 
part  of  the  same  husbandry  of  God,  —  lay  in  a  field  their 
tillage  could  not  reach.  Nor  was  there  in  this  attempt  any- 
thing temporary  and  perishable;  "  for  there  is  in  the  soul 
of  man  *  a  temple  not  made  with  hands,'  which  demands 
and  shapes  forth  the  visible  structure  as  its  shell  of  life; 
which  is  ever  fresh  amid  the  change  and  wreck  of  ages,  and 
can  build  again  from  the  ruins  of  the  past;  indeed,  the 
hidden  cloister  of  whose  worship  will  remain  still  open,  and 
thrill  with  higher  strains,  when  time  and  its  structures  shall 
be  no  more."  Other  speakers,  representing  neighbouring 
congregations,  gave  short  addresses,  and  among  them  the 
Rev.  J.  J.  Tayler,  who  spoke  with  the  warmest  affection 
and  appreciation  of  his  *'  friend  and  brother." 

On  the  1 6th  of  July  Mr.  Martineau  preached  his  last  ser- 
mon in  Paradise  Street.  This  sermon,  entitled  "  Pause  and 
Retrospect :  or,  a  Minister's  Aims  Reviewed,"  departs  from 

158 


1848]     LAST  SERMON  IN  PARADISE  ST. 

his  usual  practice  of  avoiding  every  personal  element,  and 
throws  a  valuable  light  upon  the  aims  and  spirit  of  his  min- 
istry. A  few  extracts  must  suffice.  "  Nothing  has  been 
nearer  to  my  heart  than  to  substitute  among  you  the  Reli- 
gion of  Consciousness  for  the  Religion  of  Custom."  "  Pre- 
cisely in  proportion  as  the  affections  are  pure  and  deep,  the 
conscience  clear  and  strong,  and  the  imagination  familiar 
with  great  and  beautiful  examples,  — are  heavenly  realities 
discerned,  and  the  windows  of  Reason  thrown  open  to  the 
empyrean  light."  "  Moral  and  emotional  disorder  as  effect- 
ually excludes  religious  truth,  as  intellectual  mania  vitiates 
ordinary  judgment;  and  the  best  schooling  will  teach  no- 
thing, till  the  wounded  nature  is  healed,  and  the  fever  of  the 
soul  abates."  "  We  may  touch  a  sense  which  had  never 
revealed  itself  before;  we  may  begin  a  low  sweet  music, 
at  which  the  sleeping  soul  may  turn  with  wondering  face, 
and  gently  cross  the  bridge  of  dreams,  and  open  at  length 
the  living  eye,  and  say,  '  What  world  is  this ;  and  where- 
fore am  I  here?  '  "  "I  have  known  from  myself,  and  have 
felt  for  others,  that  when  once  we  have  descended  to  the 
true  springs  of  devotion  in  our  nature,  doubts  and  fears 
spontaneously  clear  away."  "  I  have  also  wished  to  elicit 
the  moral  beauty,  the  inherent  sublimity,  and  the  natural 
authority  of  Christianity."  "  The  imperfect  media  through 
which  the  incidents  of  the  Advent  are  transmitted  to  our 
knowledge  may  render  it  difficult  to  obtain  assurance  as 
to  many  of  its  external  facts.  But  they  leave  no  doubt  as 
to  that  grand  central  figure  in  which  all  that  is  august 
and  tender  in  the  religion  is  collected  and  impersonated." 
"  Nothing  surely  can  have  authority  with  us,  save  that 
which  touches  the  seat  of  all  authority,  —  the  conscience." 
"  This  appreciation  of  Jesus,  resting  upon  intrinsic  per- 
sonal ascendancy  of  soul,  being  once  secured,  the  historical 
limitations  of  his  life,  its  human  colouring  with  the  senti- 
ments of  a  nation  and  a  time,  lie  outside  its  religious  office, 

159 


PARADISE    STREET  u^s 

its  relation  to  our  faith  and  trust ;  they  become  simple 
matters  of  secular  criticism ;  and  the  temporary  form  of  the 
first  Christianity  is  harmonised  with  the  essential  perpe- 
tuity." "  If  I  think  the  records,  which  are  the  vehicle  of 
Christianity,  less  perfect  than  I  once  supposed ;  if  they  leave 
some  thing's  uncertain,  on  which  I  should  be  grateful  to  be 
assured;  if  the  element  of  Hellenistic  theory  and  Jewish 
misconception  seems  larger  than  I  had  thought;  yet  all 
this  does  but  disengage  the  inspired  Author  in  greatness 
more  solitary  and  signal ;  and,  by  substituting  for  the  vague 
gaze  of  reverence,  a  real,  human  view  of  that  amazing  time, 
fills  me  with  a  far  deeper  interest  in  the  men,  and  a  pro- 
founder  trust  in  the  religion."  "  Another  favourite  task 
with  me  has  been  to  find  some  '  soul  of  goodness  in  things 
evil'  not  indeed  in  things  morally  evil,  .  .  .  but  in  things 
intellectually  wrong."  "  We  have  always  something  to 
learn,  till  we  have  traced  the  beliefs  which  we  disown  and 
others  trust,  up  to  their  inmost  seat  in  human  nature,  and 
detected  what  good  and  holy  thing  it  is,  which  they  poorly 
struggle  to  express.  This  insight  gained,  we  dissent  no 
longer  with  the  heat  of  a  narrow  antipathy,  but  with  the  quiet 
of  a  large  sympathy.  .  .  .  Thus  only  can  truly  deep-souled 
and  Catholic  charity  be  reached."  "  I  have  sought,  with  an 
urgency  of  heart  which  I  believe  no  failure  can  exhaust,  to 
give  you  a  sense  of  the  Infinite  Nature  of  Duty."  "  Infini- 
tude attaches  not,  as  is  generally  conceived,  merely  to 
quantities,  like  Space  and  Time,  but  to  certain  qualities,  as 
Beauty  and  Sanctity.  The  Universe  .  .  .  has  infinity  of  one 
kind ;  the  free  human  Soul,  which  may  be  fair  and  good,  has 
infinity  of  the  other.  In  God  the  two  currents  of  immen- 
sity mingle,  and  make  one  shoreless  ocean  of  perfection." 
"  But  now,  having  said  thus  much,  I  start  back  at  the  Image 
I  have  raised.  I  shrink  before  it  abashed  and  humbled. 
When  I  look  at  the  pure  ideal  of  the  Christian  Life,  ...  I 
am  bent  down  in  consciousness  of  deformity  and  defect; 

1 60 


1043]     ARRANGEMENT  FOR  ABSENCE 

and,  did  I  dwell  on  the  reflections  which  fill  me  with  dis- 
trust, I  should  lay  down  a  burden  too  noble  for  me  to  bear. 
.  .  .  This  one  thing  gratitude  requires  me  to  say,  that  the 
good  providence  of  God  has,  in  some  way  and  degree,  sup- 
plied my  manifold  defects;  enabling  us  at  the  end  of  this 
stage  of  our  career  to  look  round  on  a  Society,  not  weak- 
ened in  numbers,  or,  I  trust,  degenerate  in  spirit." 

It  had  been  arranged  that  Mr.  Martineau  was  to  have, 
during  the  building  of  the  church,  a  much-needed  leave  of 
absence  for  a  year,  which  he  intended  to  spend  with  his 
family  in  Germany.  On  the  21st  of  September,  1847,  he 
addressed  a  letter  to  the  Chapel  Committee,  asking  for  a 
year's  absence.  He  was  beginning  to  feel  that  continuous 
mental  exertion  in  the  same  direction,  year  after  year,  was 
producing  some  lassitude  and  anxiety,  which  could  be  easily 
dissipated  by  withdrawing  the  pressure  for  a  while.  "  I 
sincerely  believe,"  he  wrote,  "  that  a  year's  absence,  espe- 
cially if  passed  amid  new  scenes,  and  in  the  unusual  attitude 
of  learning  rather  than  teaching,  would  enable  me  to  begin 
work  in  the  new  Chapel  with  powers  refreshed ;  and  render 
the  remainder  of  my  life  a  less  worthless  offering  than  it 
would  otherwise  become."  He  offered  to  bear  the  cost  of 
providing  the  most  acceptable  substitute  that  could  be  in- 
duced to  undertake  a  temporary  engagement;  but  the  con- 
gregation, in  granting  his  request,  took  this  burden  on 
themselves,  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Henry  Hutton  was  en- 
gaged to  occupy  the  vacant  pulpit. 

More  even  than  of  recruited  strength  he  felt  the  want  of 
enlarged  study  for  his  Academic  work;  and,  recognising 
the  reasonableness  of  this  feeling,  the  College  also  had  con- 
sented to  dispense  with  his  services  for  a  session. 

He  expected  to  start  for  Hamburg  on  the  29th  of  July; 

and  meanwdiile  he  was  anxious  to  let  his  house.     Early  in 

June  he  succeeded  in  letting  it  for  a  year  to  Sir  William 

Warre,  Commander  of  the  forces  for  the  district,  at  a  rent 

II  161 


PARADISE    STREET  [1840-1845 

of  £260,  free  of  taxes,  but  only  on  condition  of  the  family's 
vacating  on  the  25th,  more  than  a  month  before  their  de- 
parture for  the  continent.  However,  his  sister  Rachel  was 
able  to  place  her  house,  36  Upper  Parliament  Street,  at  their 
disposal  for  a  month,  and  the  week  which  was  still  left  was 
passed  at  Farmfield,  the  residence  of  the  IMisses  Yates.  At 
this  time  he  was  uneasy  about  his  mother's  health.  She  was 
repairing-  to  Birmingham,  and  he  was  so  unwilling  to  let 
her  go  thither  unaccompanied  that,  in  spite  of  her  refusal, 
he  went  to  the  station,  with  all  his  things  packed  up,  to  go 
with  her;  but  she  persisted  in  her  independence.  As  we 
shall  see,  they  did  not  meet  again. 


It  has  been  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  account  that  Mr. 
Martineau  was  in  the  habit  of  giving  systematic  religious 
instruction  to  members  of  his  congregation  on  Sunday 
mornings,  and  sometimes  in  the  afternoon  as  well.  He 
thought  that  the  services  in  the  Chapel  should  have  nothing 
to  disturb  the  devotional  frame  of  mind,  but  that  neverthe- 
less people  should  be  acquainted  with  the  intellectual  basis 
of  their  faith,  and  that,  for  the  benefit  of  religion  itself, 
theological  study  should  keep  pace  with  the  advance  of 
knowledge  in  other  directions.  A  lady,  who  was  quite 
capable  of  exercising  her  own  thought,  and  differed  from 
him  on  the  subject  of  miracles,  writes  (Oct.  7,  1843)  •  "  I 
have  returned  from  Mr.  Martineau' s  class.  He  is  my  type 
of  intellectual  and  moral  beauty.  It  is  a  delight  to  be  near 
him,  to  listen  to  the  tones  of  his  voice,  when  he  is  speaking 
of  what  interests  him.  How  he  descends  to  the  comprehen- 
sion of  those  who  cannot  fully  appreciate  him,  how  kindly 
he  bears  with  the  dull  or  indifferent ;  and  how  delighted 
he  seems  when  he  has  led  the  mind  higher,  and  drawn  it 
forth  from  prejudices,  and  set  it  on  the  road  to  search  out 
truth  for  itself.    What  a  blessing  it  must  be  to  him,  to  think 

162 


184(^1845]    LECTURES  ON  THE  GOSPELS 

how  many  he  has  raised  above  mere  worldly  pursuits,  and 
though  he  may  not  elevate  them  to  his  own  high  standard, 
has  brought  them  to  love  and  search  after  knowledge,  truth, 
and  virtue.  His  influence  is  incalculable."  The  lectures 
were  delivered  extempore,  so  that  there  is  no  full  record 
of  them ;  but  eight  little  volumes  of  notes,  carefully  made 
at  the  time  by  one  of  his  hearers,  came  into  the  hands  of 
Professor  Dowden,  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  who  very 
kindly  lent  them  for  the  purpose  of  this  biography.  It  may 
interest  the  reader  to  see  some  extracts  which  throw  a  fur- 
ther light  upon  Mr.  Martineau's  theological  position  at  this 
time.  The  notes  are  not  verbatim,  so  that  the  style  is  quite 
unfinished;  but  the  meaning  is  sufficiently  clear.  The  time 
of  the  lectures  extends  from  Oct.  i8,  1840,  to  Feb.  23,  1845  > 
and  the  subject  is  the  Gospels,  the  first  three  being  treated 
synoptically. 

He  had  already  delivered  a  long  course  on  the  history  of 
Christianity,  and  on  the  external  evidences  of  the  religion,  and 
was  now  proceeding  to  the  internal.  He  begins,  however,  with 
a  notice  of  the  acceptance  of  the  Gospels  in  the  early  Church. 
Starting  with  Justin  Martyr,  he  comes  to  this  conclusion  :  "  We 
cannot  cite  Justin  Martyr  as  proof  of  the  existence,  at  that 
time,  of  our  Gospels  in  their  present  form ;  but  we  may  cite 
him  to  prove  that  the  general  facts  contained  in  ours  were  then 
received  as  the  basis  of  Christianity."  He  thinks  the  canonical 
Gospels  were  selected  out  of  a  heap,  on  dogmatic  grounds,  "  a 
fortunate  and  just  selection  indeed,  but  a  proof  of  the  trium- 
phant success  of  a  party."  Nevertheless  he  thinks  the  Synop- 
tics were  written  towards  the  end  of  the  third  quarter,  or  in 
the  last  quarter  of  the  first  century,  mainly  on  the  ground  of 
the  difficulty  which  a  late  writer  experiences  in  avoiding  anach- 
ronisms ;  but  his  opinions  were  already  tending  towards  a 
more  extreme  position,  for  in  January,  1842,  he  says  a  century 
may  have  elapsed  before  the  events  of  the  life  of  Christ  were 
written  down.  In  the  same  year  he  says :  "  We  have  no  exter- 
nal evidence  of  the  authenticity  of  Matthew  and  Mark,  which 
were  anonymous  productions,  brought  to  light,  or  at  least  first 
quoted,  in  the  second  half  of  the  second  century."  Neverthe- 
less he  seems  to  assume  that  Matthew's  Gospel  was  from  the 

163 


PARADISE    STREET  [1840-1845 

Apostle,  for  he  argues  on  the  assumption  that  the  writer  was 
an  eye-witness  of  many  things ;  but  whether  this  was  a  con- 
cession to  those  who  took  that  view,  or  he  beHeved  that  the 
Gospel  incorporated  apostohc  elements,  does  not  appear.  He 
infers,  however  (June,  1841),  from  the  agreement  in  the  re- 
ports of  the  words  of  Christ,  along  with  the  variation  in  the 
facts,  that  notes  of  Christ's  sayings  were  made  very  early,  and 
that  we  have  the  very  words  which  he  used.  This  is  said  after 
an  examination  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  It  is  evident  that 
in  criticising  the  words  and  deeds  ascribed  to  Jesus,  he  has 
formed  a  general  impression  of  Christ's  character  and  spirit, 
and  rejects  such  details  as  seem  inconsistent  with  this.  In 
comparing  the  Gospels  together,  and  judging  which  account 
is  the  more  probable,  he  is  guided  chiefly  by  the  verisimilitude 
and  the  suitability  of  the  occasion,  and  frequently  gives  the 
preference  to  Luke  as  presenting  a  more  natural  occasion  for 
many  sayings.  He  insists  frequently  on  the  want  of  evidence 
that  we  have  eye-  and  ear-witnesses,  so  that  the  statements 
which  he  receives  are  accepted  on  the  general  ground  of  their 
credibility,  and  he  has  no  difficulty  in  rejecting  what  seems  to 
him  improbable,  and  in  assigning  a  late  date  to  sayings  and 
parables  which,  in  his  judgment,  bear  marks  of  ecclesiastical 
origin.  Nevertheless  he  is  quite  ready  to  accept  supernatural 
events.  He  criticises  and  dismisses  the  views  of  the  Ration- 
alists, especially  Paulus,  on  the  ground  that  their  explanations 
are  opposed  to  the  plain  meaning  of  the  narrative ;  but  he  does 
not  much  consider  the  question  whether  a  natural  occurrence 
may  not  in  some  instances  have  come  to  be  misunderstood  by 
the  narrator. 

In  regard  to  the  Gospel  according  to  John,  his  views  seem 
to  have  been  undergoing  a  change.  We  have  seen  that  at  one 
time  he  regarded  this  as  the  most  authentic  of  the  Gospels,  and 
in  the  earlier  lectures  his  criticisms  seem  to  show  that  he  was 
still  of  this  opinion.  But  in  1845,  when  he  came  to  treat  sepa- 
rately of  this  Gospel,  he  had  completely  joined  the  opponents 
of  its  authenticity.  There  are  notes  of  only  six  lectures ;  but 
from  these  it  appears  that  he  was  already  convinced  that  the 
Gospel  was  unknown  to  Justin  Martyr,  Valentinus  and  his 
immediate  disciples.  Montanus,  and  Marcion ;  that  the  book 
therefore  was  probably  diffused  originally  in  Alexandria,  and 
not  in  Asia  Minor;  and  that  Irenseus  confounds  the  Apostle 
and  the  Presbyter,  and  even  that  to  his  "  conscience  it  was  not 
altogether  repugnant  to  state  as  facts  what  he  knew  to  be 
false." 

164 


I840-I845]     LECTURES  ON  THE   GOSPELS 

The  following  classified  extracts  give  his  opinion  on  several 
important  points. 

Revelation.  In  commenting  on  the  statement  "  the  word 
of  God  came  to  him  [the  Baptist]  in  the  desert,"  he  says,  "  I 
apprehend  that  anyone  who  feels  himself  possessed  spontane- 
ously of  ideas  of  whose  truth  he  is  unable  to  doubt,  which  he 
is  unable  to  do  otherwise  than  obey,  is  entitled  to  feel  himself 
under  the  influence  of  a  divine  mission.  Then  with  respect  to 
its  reception  by  others,  I  do  not  see  any  other  test  than  this, 
that  the  utterance  should  produce  a  kindred  state  of  mind  to 
that  of  the  speaker.  If  it  appears  mean  and  poor,  incapable  of 
commanding  the  belief,  it  will  not  of  course  induce  their  con- 
currence. But  if  he  can  kindle  the  same  state  of  feeling  with- 
out any  process  of  argument,  then  he  will  be  believed  to  have 
had  a  divine  commission.  This  constitutes  their  only  evidence. 
Deprive  them  of  this,  and  you  may  accumulate  miracles  at  will, 
but  you  will  never  produce  the  impression.  The  followers  of 
John  the  Baptist  apparently  never  asked  at  all  for  a  miracle. 
The  same  thing  might  have  been  in  the  mind  of  Christ  when 
he  says  the  Jews'  appealing  to  a  miraculous  evidence  for 
belief  in  him  was  owing  to  their  low  state  of  mind.  I  do 
consider  the  English  notion  of  there  being  no  divine  mission 
without  miracle  is  contradicted  by  universal  evidence.  On 
this,  as  on  some  other  subjects,  the  world  is  deeply  indebted 
to  the  Society  of  Friends."  ^ 

Inspiration.  He  thinks  the  evidence  shows  that  Christ  be- 
lieved in  demoniacal  possession,  and  that  this  view  was  wrong, 
and  says :  "  What,  then,  are  the  consequences  of  this  view  ? 
Will  anyone  say  that  it  subverts  the  inspiration  of  Christ? 
That  depends  upon  the  idea  we  entertain  of  inspiration.  If 
we  mean  scientific  intellectual  knowledge,  this  view  will  quite 
dispose  of  it ;  but  I  consider  this  notion  of  inspiration  incor- 
rect, and  that  if  we  could  satisfy  ourselves  that  he  was  indeed 
so  inspired,  we  should  obtain  little  good  by  the  belief.  It 
seems  to  me  that  since  the  Reformation  too  great  importance 
has  been  given  to  scientific  truth  in  reference  to  religious  mat- 
ters. There  has  been  a  sensitive  and  exaggerated  shrinking 
from  error  whilst  the  real  nature  of  inspiration,  moral  truth, 
has  been  lost  sight  of.  Yet,  if  we  look  at  the  facts  of  the  case, 
we  shall  find,  whenever  it  has  been  most  obvious  that  there 
was  an  infusion  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in  the  world,  this  time 
has  not  been  marked  by  discoveries  in  scientific  truth ;   but  it 

1  Jan.  17,  1841. 

165 


PARADISE    STREET  [18401845 

has  been  remarkable  for  tbe  birth  of  minds  in  congeniaHty 
with  tlie  spirit  of  the  age,  aiming  at  some  practical  purpose. 
Look  at  the  reformers  of  the  world,  —  at  the  Apostles,  at 
Wesley,  the  greatest  reformer  of  our  own  times,  —  are  not 
these  instances  of  minds  full  of  error?  Yet  does  anyone  deny 
that  these  men  were  sent  upon  a  mission  from  God  of  the 
highest  order?  Accordingly,  we  must  learn  to  dissociate 
moral  from  scientific  truth,  and  not  expect  to  find  the  one  be- 
cause we  have  the  other.  It  is  obvious  that  there  must  be 
some  limit  to  the  demand  for  intellectual  truth,  as  infallibility 
cannot  reside  anywhere  but  with  God.  Had  there  been  no 
sympathy  between  the  Messiah  and  those  whom  he  addressed, 
he  could  have  persuaded,  comparatively  speaking,  nobody ; 
he  would  have  had  few  hearers,  and  it  would  have  been  im- 
possible for  him  to  have  established  a  church.  It  is  owing  to 
the  points  of  agreement  with  his  age  that  he  has  acted  at  all 
on  the  spirit  of  our  own  days."  ^  "I  believe  that  religion  ex- 
ists, not  in  the  intellect,  but  in  the  conscience  and  aflfections  of 
men,  and  where  these  are  unfolded  religious  belief  exists,  and 
in  the  exact  proportion  in  which  they  are  unfolded.  It  is  clear 
that  Christianity  operates  in  this  way,  and  that  it  was  by  sym- 
pathy with  Christ  that  it  propagated  itself.  I  do  not  there- 
fore hesitate  to  attribute  to  Christ  and  his  Apostles  a  belief  in 
whatever  opinions  of  their  time  and  country  they  appear  to 
have  held,  and  in  so  doing  I  do  not  believe  that  I  am  in  the 
least  infringing  on  their  authority.  We  must  go  to  Christ, 
not  as  to  a  philosopher,  but  to  a  God-like  being  able  to  awaken 
the  conscience  and  the  heart,  and  in  matters  of  this  kind  em- 
powered to  represent  the  God  whom  we  adore."  ^ 

Miracles.  On  Christ's  temptation  to  throw  himself  from 
the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  he  says :  "  I  would  remark  that  this 
appears  to  me  at  variance  with  the  common  theory  of  the  pecu- 
liar function  of  miracles.  If  their  purpose  be  to  convince  man- 
kind of  the  divine  inspiration  of  the  performer,  then  I  would 
ask  how  could  Jesus  consider  it  a  sin  to  make  the  most  con- 
spicuous display  of  his  power?  Only  on  the  supposition  that 
this  consideration  was  inferior  to  their  beneficent  influence. 
Moreover,  when  Jesus  is  asked  for  a  miracle,  expressly  as  a 
proof  of  his  divine  mission,  he  always  refuses."  ^  About  the 
calming  of  the  storm,  he  says  the  explanations  which  make  it 
natural  "  can  only  be  recommended  ...  to  those  who  think 
that  miracles  are  to  be  got  rid  of  at  all  hazards.     For  myself, 


1  April  II,  1S41.  a  April  i8,  1841.  »  Feb.  7,  1841. 

166 


1840-1845]     LECTURES   ON  THE  GOSPELS 

I  cannot  in  this  way  disintegrate  the  narrative,  and  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  admit  the  miracle."  ^  He  thinks  the  sending  of  the 
demons  into  the  swine  and  the  destruction  of  the  latter,  and 
also  the  blighting  of  the  fig-tree,  so  contrary  to  Christ's  gen- 
eral character  that  he  cannot  believe  them,  "  as  they  bear  in- 
ternal evidence  of  being  fictitious."  "  Whether  there  is  any 
foundation  whatever  for  this  narrative  [of  the  swine]  it  is  im- 
possible to  say."  ^  He  thinks  we  cannot  get  rid  of  the  miracu- 
lous from  the  raising  of  Jairus'  daughter,  though  there  may 
be  exaggeration.  "  At  the  same  time  it  may  not  be  necessary 
for  a  believer  in  Christianity  to  believe  in  the  miracles.  They 
have  served  the  purpose  of  maintaining  faith  in  Christ,  but 
now  perhaps  it  may  be  permitted  to  rest  on  other  grounds."  " 
"  As  it  appears  that  the  different  decisions  passed  in  this 
room  have  produced  perplexity  in  some  minds  as  to  how  we 
shall  distinguish  between  what  miracles  we  are  to  receive  and 
what  to  reject,  I  shall  therefore  devote  the  remainder  of  this 
lecture  to  some  remarks  upon  miracles  in  general,  and  on  the 
principles  which  should  guide  us  in  the  reception  of  them. 
All  the  modern  school  of  anti-supernaturalists  start  with  the 
assumption  that  a  miracle  is  impossible,  and  that  no  evidence 
is  sufficient  to  make  them  credible.  Although  this  is  not  dis- 
tinctly stated  by  them,  and  even  perhaps  they  would  not  them- 
selves agree  to  it,  yet  they  endeavour  in  all  cases  to  show  that 
the  historical  evidence  is  unequal  to  prove  the  miracle.  Now 
this  position,  I  think,  involves  all  others,  and  this  I  am  pre- 
pared to  resist  to  the  very  last ;  and  I  say  that  there  is  nothing 
to  render  them  incredible  if  we  have  sufficient  evidence.  Surely 
anyone  will  admit  that  there  were  miracles  at  the  commence- 
ment of  all  religion.  Have  we  not  the  miracle  of  creation? 
Creation  is  the  calling  into  existence  things  which  have  never 
been  before,  and  what  is  this  but  wholesale  miracle?  Even  if 
we  say  that  the  successive  birth  of  animals  and  the  progres- 
sive growth  of  vegetables  are  only  natural  events,  yet  it  will 
be  admitted  that  the  first  of  every  species  is  out  of  the  present 
order  of  nature,  and  so  we  are  obliged  to  have  recourse  to  the 
existence  of  other  powers  to  explain  the  origin  of  these  new 
beings.  We  must,  then,  believe  in  the  existence  of  one  power- 
ful God,  possessing  a  prior  claim  to  our  homage,  as  having 
powers  and  exercising  them  before  the  order  of  nature  was 
established.  From  all  this  it  naturally  follows  that  all  which 
occurs  in  the  order  of  nature  is  at  least  (if  we  may  say  so) 


»  Nov.  14,  1841,  a  Nov.  28,  1841.  3  Dec.  5,  1841. 

167 


PARADISE    STREET  [1840-1845 

genealogically  derived  from  a  miracle.  If  this  be  admitted 
as  a  past  fact,  and  if  we  conceive  that  the  same  Being  exists 
still,  surely  the  power  is  alive  and  active  still  out  of  which 
miracles  arise.  I  conceive,  therefore,  that  the  primary  assump- 
tion, that  miracles  are  impossible,  cannot  be  borne  out ;  and 
what  we  now  require  to  know  is,  what  quantum  of  evidence  is 
necessary  to  belief.  So  everyone  who  begins  with  the  asser- 
tion that  no  evidence  is  conclusive  shows  himself  quite  unfit 
to  make  the  examination  at  all.  We  now  arrive  at  this  point, 
—  given  a  sufficient  quantum  of  evidence  the  miracle  is  proved ; 
wanting  that,  it  breaks  down.  In  all  cases  the  external  evi- 
dence is  the  same,  at  least  in  the  same  Gospel.  But  it  is  the  in- 
ternal evidence  —  the  probability  of  the  natural  circumstances 
connected  with  the  event,  the  consistency  of  the  narrative  with 
itself,  with  the  other  accounts  of  the  same  event,  and  with 
the  general  character  of  Christ  —  which  gives  us  reasonable 
grounds  for  saying  that  it  is  a  miracle  worthy  of  belief.  I 
say,  then,  that  there  are  some  miracles  which  I  cannot  disbe- 
lieve ;  there  are  others  which  are  inconsistent  with  the  life  of 
Christ,  such  as  the  blasting  of  the  fig-tree,  which  I  must  reject. 
With  respect  to  the  nature  of  the  evidence,  I  am  free  to  admit 
that  I  do  not  consider  the  external  evidence  of  the  three  first 
Gospels  as  at  all  sufficient  to  prove  any  one  miracle  they  relate. 
And  further,  if  the  Gospels  told  any  miracles  such  as  we  find 
in  apocryphal  books,  I  could  not  believe  them ;  nay,  I  also  say 
that  some  of  those  books  are  quite  as  ancient,  and  their  authen- 
ticity is  quite  as  well  established,  and  yet  I  would  not  for  a 
moment  believe  one  of  the  miracles  there  related.  But,  hap- 
pily for  us,  external  evidence  is  not  all  we  have  to  rest  upon ; 
something  more  is  wanting,  and  this  is  afforded  us  by  the  very 
parallel  we  have  just  drawn  between  our  Gospels  and  the 
apocryphal  books,  which  instantly  introduces  the  mind  to  a 
new  species  of  evidence.  Read  the  Gospel  of  Nicodemus,  for 
instance,  and  say  which  of  the  miracles  there  can  for  a  moment 
be  compared  with  the  purity  of  even  the  lowest  recorded  in 
the  other  Gospels.  The  writers,  when  left  to  themselves,  at 
once  departed  from  the  Christian  temper.  We  are  constantly 
struck  with  the  contrast  even  in  works  of  the  same  external 
authority.  The  one  gives  the  most  melancholy  and  even  con- 
temptible view  of  mankind  and  of  religion,  the  other  the  most 
noble  and  holy  impressions  of  the  character  of  Christ  and  his 
teachings.  We  may  explain  this  contrast  in  this  way;  the 
uninspired  minds  of  that  age  were  totally  unable  to  give  any- 
thing equal  to  our  own  Gospels.     Still  we  come  to  this  con- 

168 


I840-I845]     LECTURES  ON  THE  GOSPELS 

elusion  after  all,  that  the  moral  and  spiritual  character  of  the 
religion  makes  the  miracles  credible,  not  that  the  miracles  make 
the  religion  so.  If  we  are  devoid  of  the  power  of  seeing  the 
beauty  of  the  moral  character  of  Christ,  we  shall  be  unable  to 
believe  his  miracles ;  and  in  virtue  of  their  being  interlocked 
with  a  system  of  the  highest  moral  and  spiritual  excellence, 
they  become  credible.  I  do  not  deny  that  it  is  possible  that 
several  of  the  miracles  may  be  after-ascriptions  to  Christ  when 
the  influence  of  his  character  had  become  defined  in  the  minds 
of  his  followers,  and  when  the  general  veneration  of  the  Church 
was  directed  to  Jesus.  This  would  probably  be  the  case ;  and 
if  the  minds  of  a  generation  had  been  so  frequently  disturbed 
by  the  departure  from  the  general  order  of  nature,  we  may 
easily  believe  that  the  waters  would  not  subside  at  once.  For 
some  time  it  would  be  impossible  to  avoid  a  tendency  to  devi- 
ate in  some  degree  from  the  exact  facts.  So  we  may  expect 
that  in  our  Canon  we  have  both  real  and  fictitious  miracles. 
But,  after  all,  I  do  not  think  that  this  detracts  from  the  im- 
pression which  the  supernatural  events  of  the  Scriptures  ought 
to  leave  on  our  minds.  The  mind  of  Christ  must  have  pro- 
duced a  similar  impression  upon  his  followers  to  enable  them 
to  imagine  such  incidents,  and,  if  they  were  invented,  it  was 
only  so  far  as  Christ  created  in  them  this  power  of  invention, 
for  his  character  was  the  model  they  took.  Thus  they  would 
serve  the  purpose  of  attracting  attention  to  the  real  character 
of  Christ.  So  I  do  not  think  that  whether  or  not  they  are  really 
true  is  a  matter  of  much  moment ;  for  they  showed  the  belief 
that  Christ  was  capable  of  working  such  miracles,  and  this  is 
the  impression  that  ought  to  be  left  on  our  minds.  By  what- 
ever means  this  impression  is  effected  is,  I  apprehend,  of  but 
little  consequence."  ^ 

Prayer  and  Free-Will.  In  connection  with  Luke  xi.  1-13, 
he  vindicates  the  doctrine  of  prayer  against  "  the  modern  idea 
that  our  prayers  are  useless  because  they  will  not  change  the 
decrees  of  God."  This  leads  him  to  consider  the  doctrines  of 
necessity  and  free-will.  "  The  divine  and  human  wills  are  ex- 
empt [from  necessity]  ;  and  if  this  position  seems  startling,  I 
will  admit,  if  you  like,  that  the  human  will  is  supernatural,  — 
has  power  over  the  natural  element  of  man.  The  whole  doc- 
trine never  can  be  brought  into  harmony  with  the  conscious- 
ness of  any  human  being.  Everyone  feels  that  he  can  act 
either  one  way  or  another,  and  that  he  has  done  wrong  in 

1  Dec.  19,  1S41. 

169 


PARADISE    STREET  [1840-1845 

yielding  to  temptation,  because  he  might  have  done  otherwise. 
This  very  consciousness  of  wrong  natural  to  our  minds  in 
such  circumstances  is  an  argument  against  the  doctrine  of 
necessity."  ^ 

'*  I  conceive  that  the  basis  of  the  prayer  recommended  by 
Jesus  is  faith  in  the  Being  to  whom  it  is  addressed,  and  also 
a  reservation  of  submission,  a  feeling  of  doubt  as  to  the  suc- 
cess of  the  petition,  and  therefore  a  preparation  for  trust  in 
case  of  disappointment.  .  .  .  We  may  call  the  fit  state  of  mind 
a  foreground  of  faith  in  the  possibility  of  whatever  is  good, 
and  a  background  of  resignation  in  whatever  may  be  the  re- 
sult. I  conceive  these  to  be  the  conditions  on  which  Jesus 
offers  the  promise  of  an  answer.  .  .  .  If  so,  it  is  evident  that 
prayer  should  not  be  considered  as  being  the  instrument  so 
much  as  the  expression,  —  it  should  not  be  used  as  a  means 
of  getting,  but  should  come  from  us  as  the  habitual  expres- 
sion of  a  state  of  mind.  I  have  said  that  I  do  not  conceive 
any  particular  form  of  words  as  necessary,  and  I  should  be 
the  last  to  require  it  or  anything  but  the  state  of  mind.  The 
devotional  temper  is  a  prayer  as  much  as  the  words  can  be 
which  compose  one,  and  the  term  prayer,  though  convenient  as 
expressing  the  idea  of  petition,  does  not  necessarily  imply  a 
form  of  words  in  supplication.  Still  I  never  could  enter  into 
the  objection  which  some  scrupulous  persons  have  as  to  the 
utterance  of  prayer.  I  think  if  the  desire  is  there  it  should  ex- 
press itself,  and  where  we  feel  its  want  we  don't  stop  to  con- 
sider its  use,  but  act  at  once  spontaneously.  The  doctrine  of 
Jesus  is  clearly,  I  think,  that  the  temper  and  state  of  mind  are 
what  are  necessary;  but  that  the  expression  should  accom- 
pany the  wish  is  only  natural."  ^ 

Immortality.  Having  traced  the  gradual  change  in  the 
belief  of  the  Christians  about  the  future,  from  the  earthly 
Messianic  kingdom  to  spiritual  immortality,  he  says :  "  We 
often  see  in  the  arrangements  of  Providence  an  evolvement 
of  truth  through  events  rather  than  by  actual  declaration. 
An  idea  is  slowly  developed  by  circumstances  till  on  its  clear 
appearing  it  is  intuitively  adopted  by  the  heart  as  truth ;  and 
this  particular  view  of  a  future  world  (that  of  a  spiritual  and 
immediate  joining  of  the  dead  to  an  assembly  in  another  state) 
I  do  firmly  believe  to  be  the  true  one.  It  comes  so  home  to  the 
human  heart  that  I  believe  it  will  never  be  parted  with,  but  be- 
long for  ever  to  it  as  a  portion  of  its  natural  convictions."  ^ 


1  Dec.  4,  1S42.  a  Dec.  ii,  1842.  »  Oct.  9,  1842. 

170 


1840-1845]     LECTURES  ON  THE  GOSPELS 

In  connecLion  with  the  argument  with  the  Sadducees,  he 
maintains  that  the  doctrine  of  immortaHty  was  not  revealed 
or  proved  by  Christianity,  but  was  an  accepted  doctrine  al- 
ready. He  shows  that  it  was  universal  (with  the  exception  of 
particular  doubters  or  deniers  of  it),  and  he  rests  it  upon  two 
grounds, — metaphysical  and  moral.  First  is  the  intuitive  con- 
viction, the  natural  belief  that  we  are  composite,  and  that  the 
spirit  is  immaterial  and  separable  from  the  fortunes  of  the 
body.  "  If  we  are  to  be  convinced  of  the  contrary,  we  must 
have  a  revelation  for  that.  Thus  a  divine  revelation  is  re- 
quired, not  to  prove  immortality,  but  to  disprove  it  if  it  be 
really  not  true."  Secondly,  the  belief  "  is  folded  up,  as  is  the 
life  of  the  tree  in  the  bud,  in  the  very  conception  of  right  and 
wrong,  of  action  and  responsibility.  A  reference  to  a  law  above 
us  exists  in  our  natural  feeling  of  rewards  and  punishments, 
of  a  Power  divinely  conceived,  but  still  over  us  inevitably,  and 
these  ideas  absolutely  involve  the  conception  of  a  state  in  which 
this  law  will  act."  He  concludes  that  "  nothing  can  shake  our 
convictions  of  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  our  accounta- 
bility in  a  future  life."  ^ 

Messiahship.  "  Jesus  did  not  thus  announce  himself  [as 
the  Messiah],  I  think,  till  near  the  end  of  his  ministry;  but 
after  the  transfiguration  he  began  to  speak  publicly  of  himself 
as  Messiah."  ^  "  The  Messianic  reign  on  earth  seemed  to  be 
what  he  at  first  anticipated,  and  it  was  not  till  afterwards  that 
the  true  end  of  his  earthly  existence  opened  itself  to  him.  At 
first  all  his  preparations  were  for  an  earthly,  personal  influ- 
ence, —  the  sending  out  messengers  to  prepare  the  way  for 
him,  and  for  his  teaching  and  government  in  a  present  capac- 
ity. Afterwards  all  his  arrangements  seemed  made  for  the 
purpose  of  carrying  out  his  gospel  in  his  personal  absence,  and 
for  the  preaching  of  others  in  his  stead  after  his  removal."  ^ 
He  always  assumes  that  Jesus  was  really  the  Messiah.  He 
explains  the  charge  that  they  should  tell  no  man,  after  Peter's 
confession,  as  due  to  "  the  reported  failure  of  the  mission  of 
the  Apostles.  They  were  not  able  to  implant  the  belief  in  his 
Messiahship."  For  he  thinks  the  people  whom  Christ  asks 
about  were  those  whom  the  Apostles  met  in  their  mission  to 
the  various  towns.* 

Teetotalism.  On  the  passage  about  Christ's  being  a  wine- 
bibber  he  says :  "  It  seems,  if  I  might  step  aside,  and  speak  of 


1  Oct.  8,  1843.  '  May  9,  1841. 

»  May  21,  1843,  *  Dec.  26,  1841. 

171 


LETTERS,  1832-1848 

the  controversies  of  the  present  day,  that  these  verses  must 
exceedingly  perplex  the  arguments  of  the  scriptural  total  ab- 
stainers. If  they  could  be  satisfied  with  rational  arguments 
and  with  showing  the  propriety  of  abstaining,  it  would  be 
well;  but  when  they  try  for  divine  authority,  they  can  only 
obtain  it  by  violently  straining  the  Scripture  narratives.  Our 
Saviour  would  never  have  been  exposed  to  the  calumny  of  '  a 
gluttonous  man  and  a  wine-bibber  '  if  he  had  abstained  en- 
tirely. I  think  it  is  always  wrong  to  strain  the  morality  of 
feeling,  and  to  endeavour  to  find  motives  for  it  which  are 
forced  and  unnatural."  ^ 

A  perusal  of  the  foregoing  extracts  will  make  it  clear  that 
Mr.  Martineau  was  prepared  to  give  sympathetic  attention  to 
Baur's  work  on  "  The  Canonical  Gospels,"  which  appeared  in 
1847.  He  says  himself  that  in  his  re-study  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment writings  he  was  greatly  helped  by  "  Baur  and  Co.,"  and 
that  "  Baur's  masterly  handling  of  his  historical  materials  had 
impressed  me  so  much  before  my  year's  visit,  with  my  family, 
to  Germany  in  1848-9,  that  I  had  hesitated  whether  to  take  up 
our  abode  (for  study  and  education)  at  Tiibingen,  or  in  Berlin. 
In  deciding  on  the  latter,  I  was  influenced  chiefly  by  the  con- 
sideration that  the  special  advantage  of  the  former  was  to  be 
had  in  books  accessible  anywhere,  while  Berlin  was  rich  in 
unprinted  interests,  social  and  artistic,  beyond  what  a  hbrary 
could  secure."  ^ 


LETTERS,  1832-1848 

TO    THE    REV.   ORVILLE   DEWEV. 

Liverpool,  Oct.  3,  1844. 

.  .  .  You  were  pleased  that  Thorn  and  I  did  not  sign  the 
Clerical  Anti-Slavery  Address.  Your  approbation,  dear  friend, 
I  ought,  perhaps,  to  set  ofif  against  the  obloquy  which  our  re- 
fusal brings  upon  us  here.  Yet,  perverse  that  I  am,  your  sat- 
isfaction frightens  me  more  than  the  railings  of  others ;  so 
fearful  am  I  of  appearing  for  a  moment  to  concur  in  the  views 
of  duty  in  this  great  matter,  of  which  you  have  now  established 
yourself  as  the  ablest  and  most  prominent  expounder.  You 
have  exactly  expressed  my  reason  for  not  signing,  when  you 
say,  "  it  is  hard  for  grown  men  to  bow  to  mere  monition." 

1  Feb.  13,  1842.  2  From  a  letter  to  Mr.  Jackson,  June  12,  1897. 

172 


TO  THE   REV.  ORVILLE  DEWEY 

The  end  proposed  by  that  address  has  my  heartiest  and  deepest 
sympathy.  I  stood  aloof  because  the  method  adopted  appeared 
to  me  ill-adapted  to  advance  the  end.  I  saw  in  it  no  power  of 
influence  and  some  danger  of  provocation.  But  could  I  dis- 
cern any  means  by  which  the  Christianity  of  your  country 
could  be  roused  to  take  its  true  position  in  relation  to  slavery, 
—  above  all,  any  means  by  which  the  large  force  of  your  soul 
and  speech  could  be  consecrated  to  the  cause  of  nature  and  of 
right,  —  I  would  seize  them  at  any  cost.  Since  reading  the 
article  on  "  American  Morals  and  Manners,"  I  have  irrevo- 
cably made  up  my  mind  that  you  have  got  into  a  wrong  posi- 
tion, —  the  exigences  of  which  your  genius  and  character  are 
too  noble  to  serve.  With  all  the  great  ingenuity  of  your  un- 
derstanding, the  sophistical  apology  for  wrong  is  not  natural 
to  you ;  and  for  once  your  eloquent  pen  is  inefficient.  God 
and  your  own  heart  of  hearts  have  put  you  in  all  things  on 
the  side  of  justice,  humanity  and  freedom,  which  has  associ- 
ated with  it  every  great  name  in  history  since  the  slave-ques- 
tion arose.  My  dear  Dewey,  what  business  have  you  among 
the  ranks  of  those  who  have  nothing  but  dollars  and  doubts 
to  plead  against  the  primary  claims  of  Nature  and  the  Human 
Soul?  You  will  say  I  am  in  a  distant  country  and  cannot 
judge.  But  is  not  a  remote  position  like  the  future  time  fa- 
vourable to  the  calm,  clear  sight  of  human  relations  and  duties  ? 
Forgive  my  earnestness  in  this  matter ;  to  an  ordinary  man 
one  might  speak  more  slightly,  but  you  are  too  considerable 
to  be  lost  from  any  true  cause  without  prayers  and  tears. 
Channing  began  with  objecting  to  the  Abolitionists.  So  did 
Emerson ;  so  did  you.  The  future  age  will  reckon  all  three 
among  the  most  powerful  agents  of  Emancipation,  will  it  not  ? 
Theodore  Parker  struck  and  delighted  us  much ;  a  man  of 
vast  acquirement  and  large  grasp  of  mind ;  and  so  fresh  and 
simple.  He  preached  for  me  and  for  Thom ;  for  what  are  we 
that,  for  any  heresies,  we  should  disown  such  a  man?  I  can- 
not but  expect  great  things  from  him. 

Liverpool,  Dec.  2,  18.14. 

That  Texan  Sermon  fairly  subdues  my  habit  of  tardy  cor- 
respondence, and  extorts  from  me  instant  and  rejoicing  thanks. 
Send  me  such  a  missive  once  a  month,  and  you  will  convert  me 
from  my  procrastinating  ways,  and  pray  for  a  return  to  the  old 
sparse  crop  of  letters. 

I  will  not  weary  you  with  the  one  subject  which,  I  perceive, 
is  painful  to  you.    I  knew  you  would  speak  out,  and  not  allow 

173 


LETTERS,  1 832-1 848 

your  resistance  to  our  importunate  and  perhaps  ill-graced  de- 
mands to  suppress  the  impulses  of  your  higher  Reason  and 
nobler  heart.  The  questions  involved  in  your  Election  con- 
tests no  doubt  presented  a  happy  opportunity.  I  grieve  to  see 
that  your  party  is  virtually  defeated ;  and  I  suppose  the  An- 
nexation must  follow.  The  practical  tendency  of  such  a  meas- 
ure to  postpone  the  approaching  extinction  of  slavery,  I  clearly 
see.  But  I  am  not  so  sure  of  the  soundness  of  your  moral  ar- 
gument against  it.  I  do  not  perceive  how  you  can  make  the 
possession  of  slaves  by  Texas  a  bar  to  its  admission  into  your 
confederation,  while  your  own  States  already  hold  them  in 
bondage,  and  in  their  own  Legislatures  do  everything  to  con- 
firm the  possession,  and  in  Congress  forbid  all  petitions  and 
discussions  on  the  subject  in  reference  to  the  District  of 
Columbia.  Once  enter  upon  a  Course  of  Public  Acts,  showing 
that  the  present  mind  of  the  Nation  is  intent  on  the  cessation 
of  the  wrong,  and  you  can  say  with  some  face  to  Texas,  "  We 
have  scruples  of  conscience  about  your  slaves ;  we  are  going 
to  work  against  the  perpetuity  of  this  system,  —  you  are  want- 
ing to  extend  and  confirm  it ;  the  two  policies  cannot  go  on 
together."  But,  whatever  be  the  private  sentiments  of  indi- 
vidual citizens,  are  you  yet  in  a  position,  from  your  National 
Acts,  to  hold  this  language  before  the  world?  May  you  not 
naturally  be  asked  for  some  indications  of  the  anxiety  to  get 
rid  of  slavery,  which  you  think  to  be  so  prevalent  ?  Where  does 
it  appear?  What  effort,  what  plan,  what  proposal,  for  the 
cure  of  the  evil,  does  it  produce?  Do  your  statesmen  grapple 
with  the  subject?  Do  your  public  men  find  that  there  is  a  de- 
mand for  some  wise  method  of  deliverance  from  the  system, 
and  seek  to  build  their  reputation  on  the  success  of  their  sug- 
gestions? Do  your  great  writers  find  an  earnest  acceptance, 
or  an  angry  reproach,  for  their  endeavours  to  set  the  matter 
in  its  true  light?  If  the  Press,  the  Pulpit,  the  Legislative 
Hall  —  constituting  the  entire  public  voice  of  the  Nation  — 
all  give  their  suffrage  for  non-disturbance  of  the  existing  re- 
lations,—  can  you  expect  much  faith  from  the  world  without 
in  an  anxiety  apparently  barren?  You  often  allude,  and  in 
terms  of  reproach  which  we  amply  deserve,  to  the  condition 
of  our  poor.  You  cannot  probe  this  sore  too  often  or  too  deep ; 
you  shall  have  my  blessing,  as  our  physician,  every  time  you 
tell  us  the  sad  truth  on  this  head.  But  see  whether  this  differ- 
ence does  not  hold ;  —  while  the  remedy  is  so  much  more  ob- 
scure and  less  palpable  than  any  plan  of  slave  emancipation, 
that  I  doubt  whether  you  could  tell  us  what  to  do,  our  confes- 

174 


TO  THE  REV.  ORVILLE   DEWEY 

sion  of  the  wrong  is  cordial,  open,  universal,  poured  through 
every  channel  by  which  the  sentiment  of  any  class  finds  its 
way;  and  every  variety  of  ameliorative  experiment  is  either 
in  actual  operation,  or  (like  Free  Trade)  in  process  of  en- 
forcement upon  a  reluctant  Aristocracy.  With  all  this,  Heaven 
knows  there  is  apathy  enough  among  us  still.  Would  that  we 
(i.  e.,  England  and  America)  could  vie  with  one  another,  only 
in  the  earnestness  with  which  we  address  ourselves  to  our  own 
particular  social  miseries  and  sins. 

But  I  never  wished  j^ou  to  be  numbered  among  the  Aboli- 
tionist ranks.  I  have  always  disapproved  of  the  course  which 
that  party  took,  and  admired  the  Independent  position  which 
Channing  assumed.  In  this  respect  my  sister  Harriet  and  I 
have  always  held  different  opinions.  Is  there  not  now  room 
for  a  new  party  who  shall  [  ?  take]  up  the  subject  practically 
and  meet  the  social  and  [  ?  political]  difficulties  of  the  question, 
keeping  in  view  its  moral  bearings  enough  to  enlist  and  main- 
tain the  enthusiasm  of  all  Christian  people,  yet  abstaining  from 
inflammatory  speech ;  in  short,  a  party  to  secure  and  to  regu- 
late that  very  discussion  to  which  you  look  with  hope?  But 
enough ;  I  have  broken  my  promise  of  forbearance  and  wearied 
you  again. 

Since  I  last  wrote,  Thorn  and  I  have  joined  together,  and 
with  J.  J.  Tayler  and  Charles  Wicksteed,  in  the  Editorship  of 
the  "  Christian  Teacher,"  —  whose  name,  by  the  way,  we  shall 
shortly  change.  It  is  time,  we  think,  that  the  movement  party 
in  our  body,  distinguished  by  Spiritualism  in  Philosophy  and  a 
preference  of  an  internal  and  "  experimental  "  over  an  external 
and  merely  authoritative  Christianity,  should  be  adequately 
and  avowedly  represented ;  and  the  revived  and  dogged 
allegiance  of  our  other  Periodicals  to  the  system  of  Priestley 
and  Belsham  has  determined  us  to  give  voice  to  modes  of 
thought  which  we  deem  truer  and  nobler,  and  which  we  know 
to  have  a  wide  though  silent  extension  among  us.  As  for  our 
probable  indiscretions,  you  are  so  accustomed  to  be  frightened 
from  your  propriety  by  eccentricities  of  thought,  that  our  great- 
est heresies  will  seem  very  tame  to  you,  —  hardly  worth  being 
heretical  about.  But  I  do  assure  you,  you  must  read  us  if  you 
would  know  how  our  particular  portion  of  the  church  goes  on. 

Liverpool,  July  24,  1846. 
Bad  correspondent  as  I  am,  I  am  not  an  ungrateful  friend ; 
and  must  send  you,  however  imperfectly,  our  affectionate  ac- 
knowledgments for  your  gentle  and  faithful  sympathy.     Had 

175 


LETTERS,  1 832-1 848 

you  known  the  child  who  is  removed  to  a  care  far  wiser,  and 
not  less  loving,  than  ours,  you  would  understand  at  once  the 
greatness  of  our  loss  and  of  our  consolation.  He  was  a  boy  of 
rare  genius,  beauty,  and  affection;  one  made  to  be  an  orna- 
ment and  wonder  to  life,  while  with  us,  and  to  give  faith  and 
sanctity  to  death,  when  claimed  from  us.  His  image  remains, 
sometimes  in  its  fading  sadness,  to  cast  a  shade  of  sorrow 
across  the  passing  hour;  but  usually  in  its  saintly  grace,  to 
mediate  between  this  rough,  harsh  world  and  the  hidden  place 
of  rest  and  holiness  where  he  abides  our  coming. 

The  minds  of  men,  equally  faithful  and  reflective,  are,  I  am 
persuaded,  so  differently  proportioned,  that  on  matters  of  re- 
ligious faith  it  is  unsafe  to  draw  conclusions  from  personal 
experience.  Your  vivid  and  impressive  picture  of  doubt,  sug- 
gested by  internal  affliction  and  relieved  by  external  evidence, 
is  to  me  a  history,  to  which  I  find  nothing  corresponding  in 
my  own  memory  and  heart.  Not  that  I  can  pretend  to  have 
escaped  the  bitter  strife  and  depression  of  doubt;  but  it  has 
come  amid  the  daylight,  never  in  the  gloom  ;  through  the  laugh 
and  turmoil  of  a  cheerful  w^orld,  not  in  tears  and  meditative 
solitude ;  in  the  battle  of  a  fresh  understanding  with  the  diffi- 
culties of  testimony  and  the  snares  of  an  intricate  logic,  never 
in  surrender  of  heart  to  the  Will  of  God  and  of  Conscience  to 
the  severe  call  of  Duty.  I  own  I  cannot  explain  how  meta- 
physics are  at  fault  here ;  but  somehow  sorrow  brings  its  own 
evidences  with  it,  and  wants  no  witness  to  the  truths  it  aspires 
to  realise.  I  am  firmly  convinced  that  the  Reverential  Estimate 
we  make  of  human  nature  lies  at  the  root  of  all  religious  faith ; 
and  that  it  is  by  exalting  this,  through  an  exhibition  of  it  in 
absolute  perfection,  that  Christianity  itself  has  its  main  opera- 
tion ;  and  that  the  very  same  series  of  external  events,  gathered 
around  the  person  of  one  who  was  not  a  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
would  have  no  eiTect  on  the  religion  of  the  world.  Bereave- 
ment —  when  death  brings  real  loss  to  our  deepest  affections 
—  forces  us  to  feel  how  precious  and  sacred  is  a  human  life, 
how  immeasurable  the  contents  of  a  human  soul,  and  so  con- 
curs in  the  impression  which  Christianity  itself  creates. 

I  could  not  hope  for  your  approbation  of  the  Article  on 
Parker.  But  you  mistake  me  if  you  think  my  "  sympathies  to 
be  all  with  the  miracle  denier."  I  think  such  a  person  to  be, 
not  only  not  a  Christian,  but  by  necessity  an  Atheist.  I  believe 
in  as  much  miracle  as  I  ever  did,  —  as  much  as  the  most  con- 
servative of  our  theologians.  Only  I  discern  the  supernatural 
element  more  and  more  in  Christ,  less  and  less  around  him; 

.    i;6 


TO    REV.  J.  H.  THOM 

not  diminishing  the  amount,  but  shifting  the  position  from  his 
outward  Hfe  to  his  inward  mind.  This  arises  with  me  from 
two  concurrent  causes ;  partly  from  an  altered  philosophy,  and 
a  different  view  of  the  boundary  line  between  nature  and  what 
is  beyond  nature ;  partly  from  a  more  thorough  study  of  the 
external  evidences,  and  a  clear  conviction  that  the  testimony 
to  the  particular  historical  miracles  is  quite  incapable  of  bear- 
ing the  strain  which  I  used  to  put  upon  it.  Having,  however, 
gained  in  one  direction  more  than  an  equivalent  for  what  I 
have  lost  in  another,  I  do  not  think  that  the  true  disciple's  at- 
titude, owning  the  Divine  authority,  and  loving  the  holy  per- 
son, of  the  Great  Master,  was  ever  more  natural  to  me  than 
now.     Forgive  these  few  words  of  self-defence.  .  .  . 

TO   REV.   J.    H.   THOM. 

3  Mount  Street,  Dec.  26,  1837. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  To  be  associated  in  any  way  with  the 
act  of  your  life  which,  come  what  may,  will  never  have  its 
equal  or  its  like  in  happiness,  is  a  privilege  which  I  never  ex- 
pected to  enjoy;  and  which  I  could  not  have  satisfactorily  ac- 
cepted, except  on  the  failure  of  your  far  better  hope  from  our 
friend  Mr.  White.  It  is  a  serious  disappointment  to  me  that 
you  cannot  have  his  public  blessing  to  consecrate  your  union ; 
and  painful  to  me  to  find  you  speak  so  despondingly  of  the 
prospect  of  his  much  longer  continuance  with  us.  I  trust  that 
in  this  your  spirit  of  sympathy  has  caught  more  than  is  reason- 
able of  his  own  depression  of  mind.  —  Be  assured,  that  even 
his  venerable  benediction,  though  far  worthier,  will  not  be 
more  affectionate  than  mine ;  and  I  bless  God  that  my  prayers 
for  you  do  not  flow  from  a  lonely  heart,  but  from  one  bright 
with  the  light  of  a  long  domestic  peace.  Happily  too,  there  is 
no  difficulty  in  this  case,  in  complying  with  the  Scriptural  in- 
junction, and  making  them  the  "  prayer  of  faith,"  "  nothing 
doubting  " ;  he  must  be  a  vehement  sceptic  who  could  get  up 
a  doubt  in  the  matter,  ,  .  . 

Ever  your  loving  friend, 

James  Martineau. 

May  10,  1838. 

In  my  connexion  with  the  "  London  Review,"  I  have  suf- 
fered  so  much   from  the  ineffectual  struggle  to  fulfil   half- 
formed  engagements,  and  have  learned  so  thoroughly  to  distrust 
my  own  intentions  in  the  way  of  literary  production,  that  I 
12  ^77 


LETTERS,  1832-1848 

am  resolved  never  to  deceive  others  as  I  have  deceived  my- 
self. Frankly  and  sorrowfully,  then,  I  say  to  you  what  1  often 
say  to  my  own  conscience,  as  to  this  matter  of  writing,  no  re- 
liance is  to  be  placed  on  me.  From  weakness  either  of  under- 
standing or  of  will,  the  task  is  to  me  a  grievous  and  scarce 
tolerable  travail ;  the  severities  of  which  prevent  my  doing  as 
much  as  I  could  desire,  in  this  way,  for  my  congregation ;  and 
while  my  duty  to  them  is  imperfect,  I  have  little  right  to  make 
other  engagements.  You  think  I  have  materials  by  me  ;  alas ! 
I  could  not  of^er  you  such  an  affront  as  to  send  them.  From 
all  (with  slightest  exception)  that  I  have  written  I  turn  away 
so  ashamed  that  I  sometimes  wonder  at  the  infatuation  which 
impels  me  to  go  on,  —  ever  humiliated  at  what  I  have  done, 
yet  in  love  with  what  I  am  to  do.  You  must  not,  therefore, 
rely  on  me ;  I  have  nothing  in  esse  worthy  of  your  object ;  and 
to  tender  you  that  which  is  in  posse  would  be  —  when  you  ask 
for  bread  —  to  give  you  a  stone.  .  .  , 

You  have  extracted  from  me  a  confession  which  relieves  me 
much, 

July  20,  1841. 

Your  words  of  sympathy,*  always  delightful  to  me,  were  not 
the  less  so  from  their  expressing  a  much  more  sorrowful  esti- 
mate of  my  recent  loss  than  I  have  ever  been  able  myself  to 
make.  Reverses  of  this  kind  are  but  little  of  a  trial  to  me ; 
—  my  allotted  temptations  lying,  not  on  the  side  of  worldly 
anxiety  and  carefulness,  but  in  the  direction  of  a  culpable  neg- 
ligence and  indifference.  And  in  this  case,  where  the  loss  of 
money  seems  to  be  almost  the  gain  of  friends,  I  should  indeed 
be  Mammon's  poorest  bondslave,  if  every  regret  were  not  over- 
powered by  thankfulness  and  trust  of  heart.  .  .  .  Nothing  re- 
markable has  occurred  in  the  congregational  way  since  your 
departure.  Some  people  have  taken  the  liberty  to  be  born,  to 
get  married,  to  die,  in  your  absence ;  —  such  human  incidents, 
as  of  old,  paying  little  respect  to  our  clerical  convenience,  and 
reminding  us  that  it  is  not  they  who  serve  us,  but  we  that  must 
serve  them,  —  content  to  take  the  consecration  which  we  seem 
to  give.  .  .  . 

Rather  a  striking  Circular  has  been  issued  by  a  body  of 
Manchester  ministers,  summoning  a  Deliberative  Convention 
of  all  Ministers  of  Religion,  to  consider  the  distress  of  the 
country,  especially  as  consequent  on  the  Corn  Laws ;    time, 


*  In  relation  to  a  considerable  loss  of  money. 

178 


TO    REV.  J.   H.  THOM 

middle  of  Au^ist.  This  and  Dr.  Mutton's  Corn-law  Sermon 
have  led  me  to  think  a  good  deal  about  the  duty  of  our  order 
in  relation  to  political  action.  The  question  is  grave  and  diffi- 
cult; but  I  think  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that,  in  our  capacity 
of  ministers,  we  ought  to  stand  aloof  from  all  controversies, 
of  which  the  essence  and  subject-matter  do  not  lie  within  the 
province  of  religion  and  morals,  —  both  sides  of  which  equally 
admit  of  association  with  purity  of  devotion  and  the  moral 
sense ;  and  in  which  the  sacred  connexions  are  only  the  sub- 
jective relations  to  the  special  religion  of  the  individual  mind. 
A  vague  sort  of  test,  you  will  say.  —  However,  I  conclude  from 
it  that,  if  I  were  in  America,  I  could  not  be  silent  about  slavery; 
and  that,  being  in  England,  it  isn't  right  to  join  in  a  Sacred 
War  against  Sir  Robert  Peel  and  the  Corn  Laivs. 

Nov.  24,  1843. 

I  should  much  like  to  confer  with  you  about  the  prospects  of 
the  "Teacher,"  the  decline  of  which  I  was  no  less  surprised  than 
grieved  to  learn.  ...  I  fear  that  the  Unitarians  don't  want  to 
learn  any  more ;  the  idea  of  such  a  thing  has  become  disagree- 
able to  the  bulk  of  them,  and  rather  frightens  them  than  other- 
wise ;  they  think  that,  in  a  world  so  deplorably  dark,  they  have, 
if  anything,  too  much  light,  —  not  too  little ;  and  that  till  the 
poor  mortals  around  us,  delighting  in  farthing  candles,  have 
got  pretty  well  used  to  gaslight,  there  is  no  occasion  to  seek 
the  blessed  sunshine.  This  spirit  is  against  you,  as  it  is  against 
all  that  is  best  and  noblest. 

I  do  trust  that  no  false  modesty  will  tempt  you  to  let  go  your 
absolute  control  over  the  property  and  management  of  the 
periodical.  I  wish  I  were  in  a  condition  to  place  myself  at 
your  disposal  as  a  coadjutor;  but  for  some  time  longer  at  least 
I  dare  not  enter  into  new  obligations.  Nevertheless,  should 
you  really  be  driven  to  meditate  the  abandonment  of  the  un- 
dertaking, you  would  perhaps  not  object  to  our  conferring 
together  on  the  matter,  before  any  definitive  step  is  taken. 

The  Grange,  near  Keswick,  July  10,  1847. 

I  feel  ashamed  to  be  so  exceedingly  grateful  to  you  for 
your  hint  of  release  as  to  the  "  Prospective."  I  know  how  open 
I  am  to  the  reproach  of  idleness  from  my  collaborateurs,  and 
am  seriously  uneasy  at  my  inefficiency.  But,  in  truth,  this 
country  life,  immediately  following  on  long-sustained  effort, 

179 


LETTERS,  1 832-1 848 

has  fairly  let  me  down ;  and  to  string  myself  up  again  re- 
quires a  truly  painful  effort  of  will.  ...  So  be  assured,  you 
have  seldom  said  a  more  comforting  word  (and  that  is  a  great 
thing  to  affirm)  than  when  intimating  that  you  could  make  up 
the  needful  quantity  without  me.  As  for  quality,  I  only  fear 
that  the  amount  of  pure  quintessence  of  nutriment  in  prepara- 
tion —  Kenrick,  Tayler,  Newman,  Thorn  —  will  want  a  little 
of  my  rubbish  to  make  it  digestible,  —  as  hens  eat  gravel  to 
grind  down  their  grain. 

Park  Nook,  Prince's  Park,  Sept.  29,  1847. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  An  irresistible  desire  has  prevailed 
with  me  to  connect  this  volume  ^  with  your  name ;  and  the 
inclosed  copy  will  make  confession  to  you  of  my  presumption, 
—  with  humble  looks  deprecating  your  displeasure,  and  pray- 
ing for  a  loving  reception.  Thoughts  of  you  are  entwined,  in 
various  indirect  ways,  with  several  of  its  portions ;  and  there 
are  probably  few  of  its  discourses  that  would  not  have  been 
different,  had  I  never  known  you.  That  such  a  mental  rela- 
tionship should  be,  and  yet  should  give  no  signs,  was  a  thing 
unnatural.  May  you  find  no  serious  occasion  to  be  ashamed 
of  me,  as  a  country  cousin,  rudely  taking  your  name  in  vain! 

Oct.  10,  1847. 

Though  there  were  many  things  in  your  note  that  deeply 
touched  me,  and  called  forth  an  eager  response,  there  was  no 
reply  that  I  could  speak  or  write;  so  the  occasion  must  pass, 
like  many  a  sacred  incident,  with  only  a  silent  gratitude.  That 
you  are  not  displeased  to  have  our  names  associated  thus,  and 
at  all  share  my  satisfaction  in  it,  is  a  pure  joy  to  me. 


1  The  second  volume  of  "  Endeavours. 


180 


Chapter  V 
THE   CONTINENT,  1 848-1 849 

The  account  of  Mr.  Martineaii's  residence  abroad,  with  his 
family,  may  be  given  in  the  words  of  the  Biographical  Mem- 
oranda, but  first  one  or  two  incidents  which  occurred  during 
that  time  must  be  noticed.  He  had  been  scarcely  a  month 
abroad  when  his  mother  died.  She  had  given  her  hearty 
approval  and  sympathy  to  the  plan  of  a  years  absence,  and 
this  plan  had  become,  by  the  letting  of  Park  Nook,  unalter- 
able before  there  was  any  ground  of  special  anxiety  on  her 
account;  but  to  be  parted  from  her  last  hours  was  felt  as 
a  pathetic  addition  to  the  severance  of  so  dear  a  tie.  Her 
son  thus  refers  to  the  event :  — 

"  My  mother  had  died  during  our  absence.  After  long  resi- 
dence near  us  and  my  sisters'  houses  in  Liverpool,  she  had  re- 
moved to  my  brother  Robert's  in  Birmingham,  where,  years 
before,  she  had  undergone  a  fruitless  operation  for  the  resto- 
ration of  sight,  and  where  she  was  secure  of  the  gentlest  and 
most  faithful  care.  Her  many  years  of  blindness  she  had  borne 
with  a  patience  little  to  be  expected  from  a  person  of  so  much 
energy ;  yet  without  losing  her  activity  of  mind  or  contracting 
her  circle  of  sympathies.  She  became  conscious  of  failing 
strength  before  any  marked  decline  was  visible  to  others.  Al- 
most her  last  considerable  act  was  one  of  the  most  delicate  and 
fastidious  honour,  involving  resolute  and  protracted  self-denial, 
and  touchingly  expressive  of  her  depth  of  affection  and  supreme 
sense  of  right."  ^ 

Soon  afterwards  he  lost  his  aunt,  Mary  Rankin,  of  whom 
we  have  heard  in  connection  with  his  childhood.    We  learn 


1  Bi.  Mem. 

181 


THE    CONTINENT  [1848 

about  the  same  time  that  ^Miss  Harriet  Martineau  was  so 
far  reconciled  that  Mrs.  Martineau  was  once  more  in  corre- 
spondence with  her.  Before  the  year  abroad  had  expired 
it  became  evident  that  the  opening  of  Hope  Street  Churcli 
must  be  postponed,  as  the  building  would  not  be  complete; 
and  accordingly  the  Chapel  Committee  passed  a  considerate 
resolution  freeing  their  minister  from  any  obligation  to 
return  before  the  middle  of  September. 

In  the  following  reminiscences  of  what  Dr.  Martineau 
calls  his  "  Annus  Mirabilis,"  ^  the  principal  events  have 
been  checked,  and  a  few  dates  added,  from  private  letters 
written  at  the  time. 

"  My  plan  was,  to  take  the  winter  semester  at  Berlin ;  to 
prepare  for  it  by  some  months'  discipline  in  the  language  at 
Dresden ;  and  to  follow  it  up  by  successive  residences  in  se- 
lected parts  of  Germany,  long  enough  to  allow  of  regular  oc- 
cupations, yet  sufficiently  varied  to  bring  into  view  the  main 
centres  of  interest  in  the  country.  Crossing  with  my  family 
from  Hull  to  Hamburgh  in  July,  1848,  I  proceeded  by  Bruns- 
wick to  Dresden ;  and,  establishing  the  household  in  a  suite 
of  rooms  in  the  Waisenhaus  Strasse,  at  once  engaged  masters 
and  organised  a  regular  scheme  of  life.  The  daily  industry 
was  relieved  by  all  sorts  of  pleasant  variations  and  interrup- 
tions; most  frequently  by  visits  to  the  Gallery  and  the  Thea- 
tre (the  Kapelle  being  under  the  direction  of  Reissiger  and 
Wagner)  ;  occasionally  by  such  excursions  as  the  fine  autumn 
weather  invited,  —  now  to  the  Plauensche  Grund,  and  then  to 
General  Miltiz's  at  Meissen.  Especially  did  we  spend,  under 
the  guidance  of  our  honoured  friend,  Dr.  Krause,  and  in  com- 
pany with  Miss  Harriet  Mill,  and  Mrs.  Alexander  Allen,  and 
two  English  students,  some  delightful  days  in  the  Saxon  Swit- 
zerland. The  young  men,  Mr.  John  Tayler  and  Mr.  Leyson 
Lewis,  my  son  and  I,  quitting  the  party  at  Hirniskretschen, 
struck  across  Lausitz  to  Reichenbach ;  whence  unfortunately 
Mr.  Lewis  was  obliged,  by  a  slight  attack  of  illness,  to  return 
at  once  to  Dresden.  The  rest  of  us,  entering  the  forest  and 
taking  the  Bohemian  glass-works  on  the  way,  worked  up  the 
Western  slopes  of  the  Riesengebirge,  and  along  their  ridge, 


^  In  a  letter  to  Rev.  C.  Wicksteed,  May  7,  1848. 

182 


1843]       DRESDEN.      WALKING    TOUR 

with  one  foot,  as  it  were,  in  Bohemia  and  the  other  in  Silesia, 
till  we  reached  the  summit  at  the  Schneekoppe.  In  spite  of 
copious  rain  in  the  day,  and  fresh  snow  at  night,  the  walk  was 
magnificent ;  and  its  hardships  added  zest  to  its  enjoyment. 
Stopping  midway,  drenched  to  the  skin,  at  a  little  hospice  in 
the  mountains-  we  were  persuaded  to  strip  and  hang  up  our 
clothes  by  the  stoves  to  dry.  The  difficulty  was,  how  mean- 
while to  dispose  of  our  own  persons,  especially  as  we  were 
ravenous,  and  had  no  idea  of  going  to  bed.  But  with  a  blanket 
and  skewer  apiece  we  got  under  cover,  and  sat,  like  a  party  of 
wild  Indians,  doing  eager  justice  to  the  best  of  Weinsuppe 
and  Forellen.  I  believe  that  a  sketch  of  the  scene,  from  the 
humourous  pencil  of  our  lost  companion,  still  exists.  But  I 
must  not  indulge  in  these  crowding  recollections.  The  weather 
clearing,  we  descended,  after  exhausting  the  glories  of  the 
summit,  on  the  picturesque  Bohemian  side,  and  made  our  way 
to  Prague.  That  striking  and  interesting  city  bore  at  that  time 
fresh  traces  of  the  insurrection  recently  suppressed ;  broken 
sculptures,  balls  embedded  in  the  masonry  of  buildings,  and 
the  drawing-room  window  behind  the  curtain  of  which  the 
General's  wife  was  killed  by  a  street  shot,  were  pointed  out  to 
us ;  and  an  intense  excitement,  it  was  evident,  still  prevailed 
throughout  the  place.  Returning  by  the  Elbe  to  Dresden, 
we  were  relieved  to  find  our  invalided  companion  already 
convalescent. 

"  The  Archduke  John  having  been  appointed  Reichsverweser 
by  the  Frankfort  Assembly,  the  troops  of  the  different  German 
States  were  required  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  him. 
This  ceremony,  impressive  in  its  exterior,  but  reluctantly  per- 
formed by  King,  Princes,  and  soldiers,  we  witnessed  at  Dres- 
den. That  it  so  soon  lost  its  meaning  marks  the  restlessness, 
at  once  ineffectual  and  dangerous,  of  that  revolutionary  year. 
When  the  time  approached  for  our  removal  to  Berlin,  I  took 
the  precaution  of  writing  for  advice  to  the  eminent  Pastor 
Sydow,  to  whom  I  had  letters  of  introduction.  My  fear  that 
political  agitation  might  make  the  capital  of  Prussia  not  the 
most  eligible  place  for  a  winter  of  study,  was  confirmed  by 
him ;  he  dissuaded  me  from  coming.  Receiving,  however, 
opposite  counsel  at  the  same  time,  I  listened,  by  natural  pref- 
erence, to  the  opinion  which  fell  in  with  all  my  arrangements, 
and,  at  the  end  of  October,  established  my  household  in  Berlin. 
Scarcely  had  we  organised  our  habits  and  occupations  there, 
and  begun  (my  son  Russell  and  I)  our  attendance  at  the  Uni- 
versity, when  a  domestic  anxietv  set  in  which  made  us  little 

183 


THE    CONTINENT  [1848 

sensible  of  the  prevailing  political  alarms.  Our  eldest  daugh- 
ter was  prostrated  with  nervous  fever,  the  issue  of  whicii 
trembled  for  weeks  between  life  and  death ;  the  danger  being 
enhanced  by  brutal  behaviour  on  the  part  of  our  landlord  and 
his  wife,  which  drove  us  from  his  house  in  the  middle  of  the 
illness.  At  last,  when  she  had  been  three  weeks  without  clos- 
ing her  eyes  and  hope  was  almost  gone,  an  experiment  was 
tried  which  it  terrified  me  to  administer.  After  lifting  her 
into  a  hot  medicated  bath,  I  poured,  according  to  my  instruc- 
tions, an  ice-cold  douche  from  a  considerable  height  on  the 
crown  of  her  head.  The  shock  was  severe  and  alarming ;  but, 
on  being  replaced  in  bed,  she  fell  asleep ;  and  from  that  time 
the  constant  strain  was  exchanged  for  alternations  of  repose 
with  excitement  gradually  declining.  It  needed,  however,  all 
our  five  months'  stay  to  restore  her  strength  for  our  further 
journey. 

"During  the  whole  of  this  time,  especially  its  earlier  [  ?  part], 
the  struggle  between  the  Court  and  the  Revolution  was  passing 
through  its  most  portentous  phases.  Berlin,  when  we  arrived 
there,  was  under  the  protection  of  the  National  Guard,  and  at 
every  public  office  might  be  seen  a  citizen  in  plain  clothes,  pac- 
ing to  and  fro  with  his  Ziindnadelgewehr  on  his  shoulder ;  a 
promise  having  been  extorted  from  the  King  that  the  soldiers 
should  vacate  the  city  and  be  kept  at  a  distance  from  it.  A 
Constitution  was  octroyirt,  —  a  copy  of  which  I  bought  in  the 
street  on  the  day  of  its  issue  and  carefully  studied.  But  scarcely 
was  I  master  of  my  lesson,  before  it  was  recalled  and  replaced 
by  another.  A  National  Assembly  was  sitting  in  the  Schau- 
spielplatz,  the  left  wing  of  which  was  led  by  an  architect  of 
the  appropriate  name  of  Unruh  ;  and  the  discussions  of  which, 
though  copious  in  patriotic  eloquence,  were  concentrated  upon 
no  practicable  objects.  When  Vienna  was  in  revolution  and 
invested  by  Windischgratz  for  its  suppression,  a  Resolution 
was  brought  forward  in  the  Berlin  Assembly,  insisting  that 
Prussian  troops  should  be  despatched  to  raise  the  siege  and 
give  ascendancy  to  the  insurgents.  To  secure  the  passing  of 
this  Resolution,  terrorism  was  applied  to  the  members  by  the 
mob  in  the  vestibule  and  around  the  house  of  the  Assembly ; 
and,  in  fear  of  their  lives,  some  of  the  more  obnoxious  had  to 
escape  from  the  city.  This  was  the  turning  point  of  tlie  polit- 
ical drama.  The  King,  changing  his  ministry,  adopted  two 
decisive  measures.  Declaring  it  proved  that  freedom  of  de- 
bate was  impossible  in  presence  of  the  Berlin  populace,  he 
adjourned  the  Assembly  and  summoned  it  to  Brandenburg. 

184 


1848]  BERLIN 

And  seeing  that  the  National  Guard  had  shown  itself  incom- 
petent to  protect  the  peace  of  the  city  and  the  liberty  of  Parlia- 
ment, he  considered  himself  released  from  his  engagement  to 
dispense  with  the  presence  of  the  troops,  and  announced  their 
return  in  a  specified  time.  That  time  was  adroitly  anticipated ; 
and  as  I  was  entering  the  Thiergarten  on  the  previous  day,  I 
was  turned  back  by  the  advance  of  immense  bodies  of  infantry 
and  cavalry,  preceded  by  artillery  ready  for  action.  They  se- 
cured the  arsenal ;  they  surrounded  the  Schauspielplatz,  plant- 
ing cannon  at  each  corner ;  they  mounted  guard  at  the  Palace 
and  all  the  public  places,  without,  however,  dislodging  the  citi- 
zen sentinels  already  in  duty  there,  or  taking  any  notice  of 
them.  Next  came  a  proclamation  dissolving  the  National 
Guard  and  requiring  the  delivery  of  their  arms.  In  conform- 
ity with  a  Resolution  of  the  Officers,  obedience  was  refused. 
To  enforce  it,  the  city  was  divided  into  sections ;  and  small 
military  parties  were  told  off,  to  visit  and,  if  necessary,  search 
every  house  for  the  unsurrendered  arms.  No  one  expected 
that  all  this  would  pass  oflf  without  conflict.  The  English 
Embassy,  thinking  seriously  of  the  crisis,  granted  me  an  extra 
passport,  in  case  flight  should  become  necessary  and  the  origi- 
nal one  be  irrecoverable  from  the  Office  of  Police.  And  few 
persons  who  could  help  it  ventured  into  the  streets.  There 
was  a  refractory  portion  of  the  Assembly  which,  denying  the 
legality  of  the  royal  order,  and  refusing  to  go  to  Brandenburg, 
continued  to  meet  in  spite  of  frequent  dispersion  by  force; 
and  so  long  as  this  body  held  together,  a  nucleus  existed  which 
might  at  any  time  rally  the  revolutionary  elements.  But  the 
vigilant  promptitude  of  the  government,  the  patience  and  good 
humour  of  the  soldiers,  together  with  the  fortunate  weakness 
of  the  democratic  leaders,  carried  the  reaction  through  without 
a  barricade  or  a  shot.  The  aspect  of  the  city  speedily  changed. 
Carriages  reappeared  in  the  streets.  Social  visiting  was  re- 
sumed. Places  of  public  amusement  recovered  their  attrac- 
tions. And  the  political  tension,  though  still  overstrained, 
permitted  other  interests  to  play  their  part  again  in  life." 

"  The  long  anxiety  of  illness  at  home  and  the  troubled  polit- 
ical weather  abroad  restricted  our  social  experiences  in  Berlin. 
But  it  would  be  ungrateful  not  to  record  the  friendly  inter- 
course which  we  were  privileged  to  enjoy  with  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Pertz,  Professor  and  Mrs.  Ranke,  Professor  Trendelenburg 
and  his  family,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Solly,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Zumpt,  and 
Professor  and  Mrs.  Passow,   who  so  far  honoured  us  with 

i8; 


THE    CONTINENT  [1849 

their  confidence  as  to  entrust  their  eldest  daughter  to  us  for 
a  year's  visit  to  England  on  our  return.  From  among  my 
son's  friends  also,  and  some  former  pupils  of  my  own,  — 
chielly  our  Riesengebirge  party,  with  Mr.  Charles  Beard  and 
j\lr.  Richard  Holt  Hutton,  who  was  under  the  same  roof  and 
daily  dined  with  us,  —  we  had  a  bright  little  inner  circle 
around  us,  whose  constant  flow  of  kindly  humour  kept  the 
outward  clouds  away,  or  touched  them  with  some  happy  glow. 
"  Moving  southward  with  the  beginning  of  April,  by  Nurn- 
berg  and  Bamberg,  to  Munich,  and  spending  a  week  at  each 
place  of  chief  interest,  we  passed  into  the  region  of  the  '  Bava- 
rian Alps  ' ;  settling  ourselves  for  six  weeks  in  a  secularised 
monastery  at  St.  Zeno  near  Reichenhall,  till  the  snow  should 
be  sufficiently  gone  to  open  Berchtesgaden  to  us  for  the  same 
length  of  time.  The  brilliant  birth  of  the  spring  and  the  ex- 
uberant youth  of  the  summer,  as  we  pursued  the  year  up  the 
mountains,  left  an  ineffaceable  impression  upon  us  all;  nor 
did  I  ever  expect,  beyond  the  limits  of  Switzerland,  to  see  the 
majestic  and  lovely  elements  of  Alpine  beauty  so  perfectly 
combined  as  they  are  in  the  country  of  the  Konigsee.  Akin 
to  it,  yet  inferior,  is  the  interest  of  the  Salzkammergut,  which 
we  next  visited  on  our  way  to  Passau.  Taking  there  a  private 
boat  [July  2,  1849],  we  floated  dov;n  the  Danube,  through 
solemn  forests,  and  between  ever-varying  heights,  to  Linz ; 
and  then  completed  the  journey  to  Vienna  by  steamer.  No 
sooner  had  we  landed  than  we  found  that  the  world  was  not 
as  tranquil  as  it  looked  from  our  mountain  retreats.  On  ask- 
ing the  landlord  of  the  Romischer  Kaiser  whether  he  could 
receive  us,  he  laughed  and  said  that  we  might  have  the  choice 
of  all  the  rooms  in  all  the  hotels  of  the  city.  It  was  for 
Austria  the  most  fearful  hour  of  the  Hungarian  struggle. 
St.  Stephen's  tower  was  in  military  occupation,  to  keep  per- 
petual outlook  towards  Pesth.  The  gaiety  of  Vienna  was 
suspended.  Strangers  avoided,  and  even  citizens  deserted  the 
place ;  and  we  were  reminded  on  all  hands  that  we  were  pay- 
ing a  hazardous  visit.  The  calculation  of  time  and  probabili- 
ties, however,  on  which  the  venture  had  been  made,  was 
justified  by  the  result.  After  successfully  spending  the  al- 
lotted number  of  days  and  seeing  all  that  we  had  proposed, 
we  safely  changed  our  quarters  to  the  northern  base  of  the 
Schneekoppe  at  Warmbrunn  in  Silesia,  where  we  intended  to 
remain  for  the  last  six  weeks  of  our  continental  absence. 
Wooded  hills  and  picturesque  villages,  rising  out  of  a  sea  of 
waving   corn,    constitute    a    cheerful    landscape    around    that 

186 


1849]  RETURN    TO    LIVERPOOL 

pleasant  watering-place.  The  drawback  is,  or  was,  the  pain- 
ful poverty  of  the  peasantry.  With  their  farm  industry  they 
had  combined  the  handloom  linen  weaving,  and  were  suffer- 
ing the  wearisome  process  of  inevitable  defeat  in  the  competi- 
tion with  machinery.  The  visible  distress  long  haunted  me; 
and,  still  more,  the  local  indifference  to  its  existence,  and  in- 
attention to  its  cause, 

"  The  new  church  at  Liverpool  not  being  finished  at  the 
promised  date,  I  availed  myself  of  my  extended  leave  of  ab- 
sence to  stay  some  time  at  Heidelberg,  reaching  it  [August  29] 
by  way  of  Eisenach,  Fulda,  and  Frankfort,  and  so  passing 
over  the  recent  battle-field  of  the  Baden  insurrection.  Heidel- 
berg was  in  occupation  of  the  Prussian  troops ;  and  soldiers 
were  quartered  in  the  rooms  above  our  own.  Unwelcome  at 
first,  they  recommended  themselves  (we  were  assured)  to  the 
favour  of  the  inhabitants  by  their  steadiness  and  good  temper, 
and  [  ?  helped]  considerably  to  weaken  the  South  German 
popular  prejudice  against  the  Prussians.  A  fortnight,  dili- 
gently spent  in  exploring  the  deHghtful  country  of  the  Neckar, 
completed  our  term.  We  turned  our  faces  homewards,  and, 
pausing  only  at  Bonn  to  visit  some  old  friends,  we  hastened 
to  Liverpool  by  Antwerp  and  Hull,  and  were  again  in  Park 
Nook  at  the  end  of  September."     [Not  later  than  the  19th,] 

The  journey  from  Antwerp  to  Hull  was  not  without 
adventures.  The  regular  passenger  steamer  was  disabled; 
and,  as  Mr.  Martineau's  resources  were  nearly  at  an  end,  he 
found  it  impossible  to  remain  any  longer  on  the  continent. 
Accordingly,  he  prevailed  on  the  captain  of  the  "  Enter- 
prise," a  small  fruit-boat,  without  passenger  accommoda- 
tion, to  take  the  party  on  board.  The  voyage  was  rough, 
and  the  captain  lost  his  bearings,  and  was  unable  to  distin- 
guish the  lights.  He  was  rescued  from  his  peril  by  the 
knowledge  of  Mr.  Martineau,  who  recognised  the  lights 
on  the  Norfolk  coast;  and  at  length  they  arrived  safely  at 
Hull,  whence  the  family  proceeded  by  train  to  Liverpool, 
reaching  home  on  the  evening  of  September  19.* 


1  The  abstract  of  the  letter  from  which  these  particulars  are  taken  does  not 
make  it  quite  clear  whether  the  arrival  was  on  that  precise  day. 

187 


LETTERS,   1848,   1849 

During  Mr.  Martineau's  absence  on  the  continent  his 
review  of  the  "  Memoir  and  Papers  of  Dr.  Channing," 
which  he  had  prepared  before  leaving  England,  appeared, 
partly  in  the  "  Prospective,"  partly  in  the  "  Westminster 
Review."  ^  It  contains  a  fine  appreciation  of  the  great 
American  preacher,  by  whom  his  own  life  had  been  not  a 
little  influenced,  and  presents  a  careful  and  discriminating 
analysis  of  his  moral  and  intellectual  qualities. 


LETTERS,   1848  AND   1849 

TO   RICHARD    HOLT   HUTTON,   ESQ. 

Warmbrunn,  Prus.  Silesia,  Aug.  it,  1849. 

My  dear  Richard,  —  ...  Eagerly  now  do  we  count  the 
time  when  more  genial  and  human  cares  will  succeed  to  this 
speculative  world ;  and  the  image  of  our  new  Church  and  our 
old  friends  and  our  recovered  home  rises  up  before  us  by  night 
and  by  day  with  increasing  frequency.  .  .  .  How  I  shall  con- 
trive to  get  into  harness  again  after  being  out  at  grass  so  long, 
I  really  cannot  tell  —  except  that  it  will  be  with  hearty  good 
will.  I  fear  many  of  the  difficulties  which  I  felt  in  the  old 
Chapel  will  remain  difficulties  still ;  though  I  am  not  without 
hope  of  effecting  improvements  in  our  organisation  as  a 
Christian  Society.  .  .  . 

In  a  few  days  we  begin  our  homeward  move,  though  to  be 
sure  it  is  likely  to  be  a  somewhat  circuitous  one.  The  pacifi- 
cation of  Baden  has  renewed  our  longing  to  see  Heidelberg; 
and  we  think  of  setting  out  on  Thursday  for  Eisenach  and 
Frankfurt,  where  we  may  perhaps  spend  the  day  —  the  28th 
—  of  the  Goethe  celebration  (his  hundredth  birthday)  in  his 
native  place,  proceeding  next  day  to  Heidelberg.  A  fortnight 
we  propose  either  to  spend  wholly  there,  or  to  divide  with  the 
neighbourhood  of  Bonn ;  and  thence  via  Antwerp  and  Hull 
we  hope  to  reach  home  by  about  the  middle  of  September.  At 
Coblenz  we  are  to  take  up  Miss  Passow,  who,  to  the  great  de- 
light of  all,  especially  Isabella,  consents  to  spend  the  winter  and 


^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  Vol.  I.  The  first  part  was  in  the  August  number  of 
the  "  Prospective,"  1S48,  and  the  second  in  the  Januar}'  number  of  the  "  West- 
minster," 1849.     I"  the  reprint  they  are  combined  into  a  single  article. 

188 


TO    RICHARD    H.   HUTTON,  ESQ. 

sprini^  with  us.  Our  residence  here  has  been  very  quiet  and 
agreeable ;  but  having  pretty  well  exhausted  the  walks  and  ex- 
cursions in  the  neighbourhood  we  shall  not  be  sorry  to  change 
the  scene.  From  the  summit  of  the  Schneekoppe  we  all 
took  a  parting  survey,  a  few  days  ago,  of  the  grand  pano- 
rama of  country  around  us  —  seeing  from  Tetschen  to  beyond 
Liebau,  and  having  both  the  plain  of  Silesia  and  the  mountains 
of  Bohemia  stretched  as  on  a  map  beneath  us.  Basil,  who  has 
contracted  a  geographical  enthusiasm  from  the  study  of  Sy- 
dow's  Atlas,  was  delighted,  and  pulled  out  his  pocketbook 
to  write  down  the  names  of  all  the  mountains  indicated  by  our 
guide.  This  ascent  to  the  highest  point  in  Germany,  north  of 
the  Alps,  closes  our  mountaineering  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tayler, 
with  John  and  Hannah,  are  now  following  pretty  nearly  in 
our  steps  among  the  Salzburg  Alps,  occupying  probably  the 
very  residences  we  have  left. 

In  a  letter  of  Mr.  Tayler's  he  speaks  almost  with  enthusiasm 
of  Mr.  Newman's  book,^  and  expresses  his  entire  concurrence 
with  its  principles  and  their  applications,  except  in  some  sub- 
ordinate details.  I  was  surprised  at  this,  and  think  that  I 
cannot  have  rightly  apprehended  Mr.  Newman's  scheme  of 
religious  thought.  But  I  never  met  with  such  discrepant  crit- 
icism as  this  book  seems  to  have  elicited,  whence  I  infer  that, 
at  least,  it  is  a  real  and  living  book.  As  the  time  for  my  return 
approaches  I  feel  sensibly  my  Egyptian  darkness  as  to  all 
recent  literature  in  England.  You  have  doubtless  noticed  the 
sudden  death,  at  Carlsbad,  of  the  old  Professor  Zumpt  —  poor 
troubled  soul  —  so  his  pain  is  over  and  his  doubt  is  solved ! 
I  trust  his  daughters  have  the  faith  which  he  denied.  I  do 
not  wonder  at  the  influence  which  Schleiermacher  exercised 
over  the  learned  and  thoughtful  among  his  contemporaries. 
His  Glaubenslehre,  unsound  as  I  think  it  is,  is  a  wonderful 
structure,  exhibiting  a  most  singular  combination  of  deep 
feeling  and  dialectic  subtlety.  And  yet  perhaps  this  combina- 
tion is  not  singular  in  this  country,  though  its  appearance  apart 
from  any  strong  moral  and  imaginative  elements  is  striking 
to  the  English  observer.  It  is  easier  to  do  justice  to  Schleier- 
macher when  one  observes  that  there  has  been  no  one  to  take 
his  place ;  that  the  last  hope  of  mediation  between  philosophy 
and  Christianity  in  Germany  seems  to  have  perished  with  him ; 
and  that  the  two  great  interests  become  daily  more  and  more 
conscious  of  their  mutual  alienation. 

1  "  The  Soul." 

189 


LETTERS,   1848,   1849 


TO    REV.  J.  H.  THOM. 

Dresden,  Oct.  21,  1848. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  The  welcome  sig::ht  of  your  hand- 
writing-, for  which  I  have  often  longed  during  your  foreign 
rambles,  comes  with  double  refreshment  upon  me  in  this 
strange  exile ;  bringing  before  me,  as  no  other  influence  could, 
the  dear  and  sacred  interests  which  re-engage  you  after  your 
period  of  rest.  During  your  absence  I  could  trace  your  course 
but  imperfectly ;  but  I  followed  your  return  to  Renshaw  Street 
with  constant  thought,  which  I  knew  could  not  mislead ;  and 
now  that  I  have  heard  from  Richard  Hutton  a  living  report 
of  your  first  days  of  resumed  duty,  I  feel  a  double  security 
and  a  more  elastic  spirit,  in  the  enjoyment  of  my  own  oppor- 
tunity of  absence.  Right  heartily  do  we  congratulate  you  both 
on  the  happy  completion  of  your  plan,  and  the  domestication 
once  more  in  the  old  scenes  of  labour,  brightened,  no  doubt, 
and  consecrated  by  the  thousand  pictures  with  which  you  can 
now  compare  them.  When  your  letter  came,  I  was  roving  over 
the  summits  of  the  Riesengebirge  and  amid  the  forests  of 
Bohemia,  else  I  would  have  replied  sooner.  Before  breaking 
up  our  Saxon  residence,  I  was  anxious  to  quit  the  great  cities, 
and  see  something  of  the  physical  and  social  aspect  of  the 
secluded  interior,  —  to  look  at  the  Slavonic  face  and  hear  the 
Slavonic  tongue,  as  well  as  to  visit  so  venerable  a  city  as 
Prague.  The  late  and  splendid  autumn  favoured  an  October 
excursion ;  and  after  accompanying  our  whole  party,  with 
some  half  dozen  friends  besides,  through  the  Saxon  Switzer- 
land, I  started,  with  Russell,  and  John  Hutton  Tayler,  on  a 
nine  days'  pedestrian  tour  through  the  mountain  range  which 
separates  Prussian  Silesia  from  Bohemia ;  crowning  the  enter- 
prise by  an  ascent  of  the  Schneekoppe,  —  the  highest  point 
between  the  Tyrol  and  Norway.  Besides  the  invariable  gran- 
deurs of  all  vast  mountain  scenery,  and  the  interest  of  drinking 
at  their  fountains  the  waters  of  the  Iser  and  the  Elbe,  —  the 
peculiar  features  of  forest  scenery,  which  were  quite  new  to 
me,  gave  a  special  charm  to  the  journey;  I  never  knew  before 
the  solitude,  —  enough  to  take  away  one's  breath,  —  in  which 
upland  wood  and  water  sighing  and  singing  in  the  winds 
could  place  one.  The  solemn,  mystic  spirit  of  the  Teutonic 
mythology  needs  no  other  commentator  than  the  voice  of  the 
pine  mountain.  It  is  on  the  Southern,  or  Bohemian,  side  that 
this  wild  character  is  principally  found. 

190 


TO    REV.   J.  H.  THOM 

Looking  down  on  Silesia,  from  a  height  of  five  thousand 
feet,  you  see,  beyond  the  middle  ground  of  steep  grass  farms 
and  deep  ravines,  a  country  undulating  away  into  an  immense 
plain,  studded  with  towns,  and  coloured  with  the  warm  traces 
of  human  industry.  In  this  contrast,  as  well  as  in  everything 
else  (except  perhaps  personal  beauty),  the  superiority  of  the 
German  to  the  Bohemian  (Slavonic)  race  is  very  apparent; 
and  it  is  impossible  to  cross,  as  we  have  done,  from  Aclersbach 
to  Prague,  and  live  among  the  people  for  even  a  few  days, 
without  sympathising  with  the  German  anxiety  lest  the  present 
condition  of  Austria  should  lead  to  any  encroachment  of 
Sclavish  barbarism  on  Teutonic  civilisation.  .  .  . 
Ever,  my  dear  friend. 

Your  truly  aflfectionate, 

James  Martineau. 


13  Behrer  Strasse,  Berlin,  Feb.  25,  1849. 

I  have  heard  Neander  lecture,  though  I  have  not  met  him  in 
private.  He  often  talks,  I  understand,  about  Blanco  White; 
laments  that  Mr.  White  got  into  the  dead  Hat  of  Liverpool 
Unitarianism ;  hopes  that  not  many  in  England  share  your 
opinions,  etc.,  etc. 

His  lectures  are  interesting  from  their  matter,  and  the  neat- 
ness approaching  to  elegance  of  expression,  somewhat  dif- 
fused, however,  and  delivered  in  a  manner  so  peculiar  as  to 
defy  conception.  A  little  shy-looking  man,  with  a  quantity  of 
black  hair,  and  eyes  so  small  and  overshadowed  by  dark  brows 
as  to  be  invisible,  slinks  into  a  great  lecture-room ;  steps  up  to 
his  platform ;  but  instead  of  taking  his  professor's  chair,  takes 
his  station  at  the  corner  of  his  tall  desk,  leaning  his  arm  upon 
the  angle,  and  his  head  upon  his  arm ;  with  his  face  thus  hang- 
ing over  the  floor,  and  pulling  a  pen  to  pieces  with  his  fingers, 
he  begins  to  rock  his  desk  backwards  and  forwards  on  its 
hind  edge  with  every  promise  of  a  bouleversement,  and  talks 
smoothly,  as  he  rocks,  for  his  three-quarters  of  an  hour,  with- 
out a  scrap  of  paper;  quoting  authorities,  chapter  and  verse, 
and  even  citing  and  translating  longish  passages  from  ecclesi- 
astical writers ;  and  finishing  every  clause  by  spitting,  in  a 
quiet  dropping  way  upon  the  floor,  as  if  to  express  the  punctu- 
ation. When  the  clock  strikes,  the  demolition  of  the  pen  is 
just  complete,  and  he  slinks  out  of  the  room  without  apparently 
having  once  been  conscious  that  anybody  was  present. 

191 


LETTERS,   1848,   1849 

Warmhrunn,  July  29,  1849. 

You  have  perhaps  heard  that  we  are  summoned  back,  by  the 
Committee,  at  the  end  of  August.  It  grieves  me  unspeakably 
to  contemplate  the  return,  which  would  be  a  time  of  such 
natural  joy  and  gratitude,  —  with  any  reluctance  and  regret; 
yet  the  prospect  of  this  useless  and  characterless  month,  de- 
prived both  of  the  repose  of  preparation  and  the  freshness  of 
organised  work,  is  distressing  to  me,  and  makes  me  look  to  its 
end  with  a  kind  of  flat  dread  instead  of  with  high  hope.  I  have 
even  thought  that,  in  order  to  have  some  shelter  from  the 
exclusive  pressure  of  secular  and  social  claims,  and  to  fix  my 
mind  upon  its  proper  work,  I  should  do  well  to  have  some 
preaching  engagement  at  a  sufficient  distance ;  which  would 
remove  me  from  Liverpool  on  the  Sundays,  give  my  thoughts 
a  point  of  union  and  collectedness,  and  enable  me  to  begin  the 
habits  of  my  permanent  life.  A  man  without  a  shadow,  or  a 
lady  without  a  centre  of  gravity,  would  not  be  more  out  of 
nature  than  I  shall  be  for  that  anomalous  month.  The  pros- 
pect of  it  has  somewhat  set  me  back,  and  I  am  less  well  than 
I  have  been ;  possibly  to  be  so  affected  at  all  by  things  of  this 
kind  is  itself  an  indication  of  imperfectly  recovered  strength ; 
but  I  hope  still  for  such  temperate  allowance  of  health  as  may 
serve  the  great  working  purposes  of  life.  This  year  has  been 
invaluable  to  me  in  many  ways ;  and  though  it  has  not  con- 
vinced me  that  my  period  of  service  is  likely  to  be  very  pro- 
tracted, it  has  enabled  me  to  define  more  exactly  my  ideas  of 
what  may  be  attempted,  and  to  improve  in  some  degree  my 
resources  for  the  attempt ;  and  it  is  something  even  to  discover 
that  one's  power  of  real  study  and  acquisition  is  not  gone.  I 
have  felt  exceedingly  grateful  to  you  for  letting  me  alone  in 
your  capacity  of  Editor  of  the  "  Prospective,"  and  so  complet- 
ing my  holiday  from  home  engagements.  Had  anything  fallen 
in  my  way  which  would  have  presented  suitable  materials,  I 
would  have  volunteered  a  contribution.  But  my  studies  have 
lain  out  of  the  course  of  our  topics.  I  must  endeavour  to  atone 
in  some  degree  for  my  uselessness,  as  soon  as  my  home  life 
is  brought  once  more  into  efficient  order.  But  for  a  time  I 
shall  find  myself  quite  out  of  my  latitude  on  the  sphere  of 
English  literature.  The  books  that  every  one  talks  of  and  that 
I  should  have  devoured  at  home  —  Macaulay,  Morell,  Froude, 
Newman  —  are  still  strange  to  me  ;  and  I  have  been  living  not 
only  in  a  foreign  country,  but  in  every  century  rather  than  our 
own.  —  Your  appreciating  words  respecting  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton 

192 


TO  REV.  J.  H.  THOM 

delighted  me,  and  convinced  me  that  the  affection  with  which 
I  regard  him  does  not  deceive  me.  If  his  Hfe  is  spared  for  an 
average  period  of  service,  I  cannot  help  entertaining  very 
high  hopes  of  his  beneficial  inflvience  intellectual  and  spiritual. 
Chiefly  as  an  opening  for  this  do  I  rejoice  in  the  new  honour 
which  his  recent  examination  has  brought  him.  That  he  refers 
it  in  any  degree  to  me  is  an  amusing  specimen  of  sophistical 
modesty.  I  have  about  as  much  to  do  with  it  as  Tenterden 
steeple  with  Goodwin  sands.  It  is  pleasant,  however,  to  be  the 
object  of  even  the  illusory  gratitude  of  a  noble  heart. 

In  the  region  we  are  now  in,  English  people  are  quite  curi- 
osities ;  and  when  recognised  as  not  German,  we  are  invariably 
taken  either  for  Bohemians  or  for  Poles,  the  two  most  familiar 
types  of  all  outlandish  qualities.  It  is  in  every  way  agreeable, 
however,  to  be  out  of  the  beaten  track  of  our  countrymen  and 
surrounded  by  true  German  life ;  and  we  have  selected  all  our 
resting-places  with  a  regard  to  this.  We  shall  have  seen  a  vast 
deal  more  than  I  could  have  expected,  —  all  the  large  capitals, 
almost  every  city  of  historical  interest,  all  the  great  collections 
of  works  of  art,  the  chief  mountain  ranges  with  their  subjacent 
lakes  and  valleys,  —  the  Elbe,  the  Danube,  and  perhaps  the 
Rhine,  through  the  whole  length  which  presents  any  interest; 
yet,  though  the  countries  in  which  we  have  been  seem  never  to 
have  been  free  from  political  turmoil  or  actual  war,  we  have 
been  spared  every  un[  ?  pleasantness]  except  during  the  Novem- 
ber crisis  in  Berlin,  —  I  am  far  from  thinking,  however,  that 
the  present  restoration  of  order  is  permanent.  If  Austria  were 
back  again  in  the  field  of  German  politics,  the  chaos  would 
reappear. 


13  193 


Chapter    VI 
HOPE    STREET,   1849-1857 

On  his  return  from  the  continent,  Mr.  Martineau  was 
looking  forward  with  eager  interest  to  the  opening  of  the 
beautiful  church  which  had  been  erected  in  Hope  Street. 
Among  the  Protestant  Dissenters,  descendants  of  the  Eng- 
lish Presbyterians,  accustomed  to  plain  brick  buildings,  and 
the  unadorned  utility  of  a  meeting-house,  it  was  still  some- 
thing new  to  see  a  spire  pointing  heavenward,  and  the  graces 
of  Gothic  architecture  contributing  to  the  outward  dignity 
of  public  worship,^  and  some  aged  heads,  full  of  the  Puritan 
tradition,  were  shaken  over  this  Romanising  tendency.  It 
was  a  more  serious  thing,  as  we  shall  see,  that  the  awful 
and  mysterious  charge  of  "  Germanising  "  was  whispered, 
and  afterwards  loudly  expressed,  against  the  thoughtful  and 
fearless  preacher.  For  the  moment,  however,  he  was  able 
to  surrender  himself  undisturbed  to  the  emotions  which 
were  awakened  by  the  prospect  of  resuming  his  ministry 
under  these  improved  conditions.  The  following  letter  to 
his  friend,  the  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed,  gives  us  a  glimpse 
of  the  hope,  mingled  with  humble  apprehensions,  with  which 
he  contemplated  a  new  period  in  his  life :  — 

Herischdorf  near  Warmbrunn,  Schlesien,  Aug.  3.  1849. 

My  dear  Wicksteed,  —  A  small  scrap  of  paper  from  a 
very  distant  place  has,  I  am  aware,  the  shabbiest  of  looks. 
But  as  Nature  is  said  to  blow  thistle  seeds  across  the  Atlantic, 


^  The  Chapel  in  Upper  Brook  Street,  Manchester,  had  been  already  built, 
and  mistaken  by  Mr.  Henry  Crabb  Robinson  for  a  "  Popish  Chapel." 

194 


HOPE    STREET    CHURCH 

LIVERPOOL 

OPENED    IN    THE    ALTCMN    OF    1849 


1849]     OPENING  OF   HOPE  ST.   CHURCH 

I  will  venture,  as  humble  imitator,  to  commit  my  worthless 
weeds  to  wind  and  tide.  In  truth,  I  am  so  overjoyed  to  hear 
that  my  sensible  people  beg  you  to  come  to  our  aid  at  the 
opening  of  our  new  church,  that  I  cannot  refrain  from  a  word 
of  entreaty  added  to  theirs.  You  cannot,  however,  I  do  be- 
lieve, refuse  us ;  the  place  of  your  first  Ministry,  and  the 
abode  of  so  many  true  friends,  has  claims  upon  a  heart  like 
yours  not  to  be  gainsaid.  I  can  add  nothing  to  them,  or  I 
would  pray  you  to  stand  by  me  at  a  crisis  which,  as  your  re- 
cent experience  will  tell,  needs  every  support  which  friend- 
ship and  faith  —  the  human  stay  united  with  the  divine  — 
can  give.  This  return,  under  such  new  conditions,  is  in  many 
respects  a  turning  point  in  life  with  me ;  and  with  a  nature 
that  has  in  it  more  of  resolve  than  of  hope,  I  look  on  it  with 
an  awe  which  I  would  fain,  by  the  presence  of  dear  fami- 
liar faces,  abate.  So  come,  dear  friend,  and  be  my  good 
angel.  .  .  . 

Ever  affectionately  yours, 

James  Marti neau. 

The  day  fixed  for  the  opening  of  the  church  was  Thurs- 
day, October  4;  but,  as  the  day  approached,  the  unfinished 
state  of  the  building  rendered  a  postponement  necessary, 
and  it  was  not  till  Thursday,  October  18,  that  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Madge,  at  the  conclusion  of  the  devotional  service 
conducted  by  Mr.  Martineau,  preached  the  dedicatory  ser- 
mon to  a  crowded  congregation.  The  text  was  taken  from 
Acts  i.  13,  14,  and  furnished  the  theme  for  a  sermon  which, 
if  not  remarkable  for  originality  of  thought,  was  distin- 
guished by  the  good  sense  and  gentle  piety,  and  rendered 
impressive  by  the  silvery  tones  and  unaffected  delivery  of 
the  preacher.  In  the  evening  a  meeting  was  held  in  the 
adjacent  Hall  of  the  Philharmonic  Society,  which  was  at- 
tended by  about  nine  hundred  persons.  The  great  organ 
was  played  by  Mr.  Russell  Martineau,  and  several  speeches 
were  delivered  in  the  course  of  the  evening.  It  is  curious 
that  the  heading  of  the  very  full  report  of  this  meeting, 
contained  in  "  The  Christian  Reformer,"  calls  the  new 
building  "  The  Unitarian  Church."     Such  an  appellation 

195 


HOPE    STREET  [1849 

would  never  have  been  sanctioned  by  Mr.  Martineau,  the 
dream  of  whose  Hie  it  was  to  have  a  church  which  rested 
on  the  unforced  sympathies  of  Christian  sentiment,  and  not 
on  doctrinal  distinctions ;  and  in  accordance  with  this  view 
it  was  announced  by  Mr.  Thomas  Bolton,  the  chairman  of 
the  meeting,  that  the  new  church  "  had  been  registered  as 
a  place  of  meeting  for  Protestant  Dissenters,  for  the  public 
worship  of  Almighty  God  and  instruction  in  the  Christian 
Religion."  In  the  course  of  the  evening  Mr.  Madge  spoke 
with  generous  appreciation  of  the  great  powers  and  endow- 
ments, and  the  devoted  labours,  of  the  Minister  of  the 
church,  and  of  his  own  high  regard  for  him,  notwithstand- 
ing differences  of  opinion.  The  chairman  proposed  the 
sentiment :  "  The  Reverend  James  Martineau,  our  highly 
respected  and  esteemed  Friend  and  Minister;  may  the 
truth  and  warmth  of  our  welcome  on  his  return  home  be 
the  measure  of  the  benefit  conferred  by  his  absence  upon 
him  and  his ;  and  may  our  appreciation  of  the  deep  fervour 
of  his  religious  services,  and  our  admiration  of  the  ability, 
fearlessness,  eloquence,  and  usefulness  of  his  most  able  dis- 
courses, be  to  him  an  abiding  assurance  that  his  labours 
among  us  are  not  in  vain,"  Mr.  Martineau,  in  his  reply, 
spoke  first  of  the  delight  of  meeting  his  friends  once  more, 
and  of  the  thousand  things  that  crowded  on  his  mind  and 
heart,  making  the  day  one  to  be  inscribed  with  a  bright  joy 
in  the  annals  of  his  life.  Then,  remembering  that  it  was 
a  social  occasion,  he  adopted  a  lighter  strain,  and  evoked 
the  laughter  of  his  audience  by  his  playful  humour.  Re- 
suming his  more  serious  tone,  he  spoke  of  his  experiences 
in  Germany,  and  declared  that,  while  he  had  had  much 
instruction,  and  was  thankful  for  the  great  prospects  which 
the  last  year  had  opened  to  him,  he  came  home  with  a  firm 
preference  for  our  English  social  life,  for  our  English 
modes  of  thought  and  habits  of  action,  and  especially  for 
the  popular  and  practical  religion  which  existed   in  this 

196 


1849]     OPENING  OF   HOPE  ST.   CHURCH 

country,  rather  than  that  purely  intellectual  and  critical 
theology  which  existed  in  Germany.  Speaking  of  their 
prospects  he  expressed  the  hope  that  they  might  be  able  to 
find  some  machinery  of  administration  with  which  they 
might  more  truly  and  faithfully  realise  the  idea  of  a  Chris- 
tian Church.  He  was  surprised  at  the  way  in  which  English 
society  had  run  after  the  "  Gospel  of  the  Economists,  which 
cries  out  '  Let  a  man  help  himself.'  "  "  Help  yourself  "  was 
the  modern  gospel  of  England,  "  Help  one  another  "  was 
the  ancient  gospel  of  the  Christian  Church ;  and  he  trusted 
to  his  congregation  to  see  if  they  could  find  some  method 
by  which  individual  convictions  might  be  brought  to  one 
common  focus,  so  as  to  act,  and  kindle  action  in  the  world 
around. 

Speeches  were  also  delivered  by  Mr.  Thomas  Thornely, 
M.P.,  and  Mr.  James  Hey  wood,  M.P.,  who  made  the  inter- 
esting announcement  that  he  had  "  placed  on  the  Notice- 
book  of  the  House  of  Commons,  a  notice  of  his  intention 
to  move  an  Address  to  the  Queen,  praying  her  Majesty 
to  issue  a  Royal  Commission  for  inquiry  into  the  Univer- 
sities of  Oxford,  Cambridge,  and  Dublin,"  the  object  being 
to  open  these  Universities  to  Dissenters  without  the  impo- 
sition of  doctrinal  tests. ^  Among  Mr.  Martineau's  minis- 
terial friends  the  Revs.  John  Kenrick,  Charles  Wicksteed, 
J.  H.  Thorn,  and  J.  J.  Tayler  made  appropriate  speeches ; 
and  several  other  gentlemen,  including  Henry  Crabb  Rob- 
inson, having  spoken,  the  proceedings  of  this  eventful  day 
closed  about  eleven  o'clock.  A  few  words  of  Mr.  Tayler's 
may  be  quoted,  as  admirably  expressing  the  catholic  spirit 
which  he  so  fondly  cherished,  and  which  was  so  fully  exem- 
plified in  the  Hope  Street  congregation :  "  He  thought  it 
honourable  to  the  religious  body  with  which  he  had  the 


1  In  Dublin  the  degrees,  though  not  the  Scholarships  and  Fellowships,  were 
already  open. 

197 


HOPE    STREET  [1849 

happiness  to  be  connected,  that  it  could  harmoniously  em- 
brace within  it  elements  of  such  various  quality  and  appar- 
ently conflicting  tendency,  and  without  requiring  any  man 
to  surrender  his  distinctive  convictions,  permit  them  all, 
of  every  shade  of  speculative  opinion,  to  hold  out  to  each 
other  the  right  hand  of  Christian  brotherhood,  and  to  meet 
together  with  perfect  cordiality  and  mutual  respect,  on  the 
broad  ground  of  Gospel  love  and  human  sympathy  and 
philanthropic  endeavour." 

The  following  Sunday  Mr.  Martineau  preached  a  sermon, 
published  under  the  title  of  "  The  Watch-night  Lamps,"  ^ 
in  which  he  set  forth  his  ideal  of  a  Church.  He  began  with 
solemn  words  of  acknowledgment  and  greeting :  "  Now 
does  the  Heavenly  Mercy  rebuke  all  my  fears.  The  long- 
imagined  moment  is  really  come :  God  restores  us  to  each 
other.  Beneath  his  eye  we  parted,  and  before  his  face  we 
meet ;  and  that  Infinite  Light  scatters  the  lingering  shadows 
of  misgiving  which  have  hung  around  the  forecast  of  this 
hour.  ...  I  greet  you  with  all  the  warmth  of  my  affection 
and  the  fresh  devotion  of  all  my  powers;  consecrating 
myself  and  you  to  the  service,  not  indeed  of  your  will,  — 
but  of  your  faith  and  highest  hope,  your  love  and  con- 
science, your  remorse  and  aspiration,  —  which  you  know 
to  be  interpreters  of  a  Will  that  must  be  monarch  of  your 
own."  Speaking  of  vacancies,  he  misses  "the  dear  and  ven- 
erable form  of  one  from  whose  eyes  age  had  exhausted  the 
vision  but  not  the  tears,  and  whose  features  were  quickened 
and  kindled  by  the  light  within."  Then,  assuming  that 
a  Church  exists  for  public  worship,  he  proposes  to  explain 
"  what  further  may  be  the  function  of  a  Church,  and  ought 
to  be  the  function  of  this  Church,  in  the  present  age  of  the 
world."     Adopting  as  his  text,  "  The  wise  took  oil  in  their 


^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV.  On  p.  450,  line  12  from  the  bottom,  there  is 
a  misprint,  "  eternal  "  instead  of  "internal,"  and  p.  463,  line  9  from  the  bottom, 
''  eternal  "  should  be  "  external." 

198 


1849]  "WATCH-NIGHT    LAMPS" 

vessels  with  their  lamps,"  he  allegorises  the  wise  virgins 
into  "  the  several  Graces  of  the  soul  commissioned  to  wait 
upon  their  Lord,"  and  represents  these  Graces  as  the  Spirits 
of  Endeavour,  of  Humiliation,  of  Trust,  of  Service,  and 
of  Communion.  The  ideas  conveyed  by  these  words  are 
unfolded  with  a  richness  of  thought  and  a  splendour  of  lan- 
guage and  imagery,  which  perhaps  betray  more  than  usual 
the  labour  of  composition.  A  few  of  the  thoughts  may 
be  very  briefly  indicated :  "  A  Church  is  a  fraternity  .  .  . 
for  realising  the  Christian  life,  creating  the  Christian  mind, 
and  guarding  from  deterioration  the  pure  type  of  Christian 
perfection."  "  The  moral  law  of  God  "  is  "  the  Rock  on 
which  we  build "  it.  Nevertheless  Christianity  is  not  a 
"  mere  ethical  system."  When  the  voice  of  Christ  has 
opened  our  spirit  to  the  true  nature  of  moral  restraints  and 
obligations,  and  "  from  utterances  of  human  police  they 
become  tones,  stealing  through  the  foliage  of  the  soul,  from 
enshadowed  oracles  of  God,  their  whole  character  and  pro- 
portion are  as  much  changed  as  if  the  dull  guest  had  turned 
into  an  angel,  and  the  stifling  tent  expanded  to  the  midnight 
skies.  .  .  .  The  feeling  of  duty,  no  longer  negative,  ceases 
to  act  like  an  external  hindrance  and  prohibition,  and  be- 
comes a  positive  internal  power  of  endless  aspiration.  .  .  . 
To  whomsoever  God  is  Holy,  to  him  is  Duty  Infinite." 
*'  He  with  whom  God's  presence  has  quieted  a  passion  or 
subdued  a  grief  is  surprised  by  the  nearness  of  his  reality." 
"  With  a  sentient  nature  that  loves  the  easiest,  and  a  con- 
science that  reveres  the  best,  we  feel  that  Epicurus  and 
Christ  meet  face  to  face  within  our  soul."  The  place  of 
mediation  in  religion  is  thus  described :  "  There  are  two 
parts  of  our  nature  essential  to  our  first  approaches  to  God ; 
the  Imagination  places  him  before  us  as  an  object  of  con- 
ception external  to  the  mind;  the  Conscience  interprets  his 
personal  relations  of  communion  with  ourselves.  The  first 
of  these  emphatically  needs  a  mediator ;   the  function  of  the 

199 


HOPE    STREET  [1849 

second  perishes  the  moment  he  appears.  We  cannot  trust 
the  representative  faculty  of  our  nature  whose  pencil  of 
design  varies  with  the  scope  of  Reason,  and  whose  colours 
change  with  the  moods  and  lights  of  Passion,  to  go  direct 
to  the  sheet  of  Heaven,  and  show  us  the  Almighty  there: 
else,  what  watery  ghost,  or  what  glaring  image,  might  we 
not  have  of  the  Eternal  Providence?  Only  through  what 
has  been  upon  earth  can  we  safely  look  to  what  is  in  heaven, 
through  historical  to  divine  perfection;  and  by  keeping 
the  eye  intently  fixed  on  the  highest  and  most  majestic 
forms  in  which  living  minds  have  ever  actually  revealed 
their  thoughts  and  ways,  we  have  a  steady  type,  with  hues 
that  do  not  change  or  fly,  of  the  great  source  of  souls. 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  centre  of  the  scattered  moral  possi- 
bilities of  history,  is  thus  mediator  to  our  imagination 
between  God  and  man.  On  the  other  hand,  we  cannot  allozv 
the  Conscience  to  resign  for  an  instant  its  native  right  of 
immediate  contact  and  audience  with  God :  to  delegate  the 
privilege  is  treason;  and  to  quit  his  eye  is  death."  What 
is  special  to  this  Church  is  the  belief  that  these  five  lamps, 
and  these  alone,  are  held  in  angel  hands,  and  fed  with  the 
eternal  aliment  of  truth.  They  come  between  Catholicism 
on  the  one  side  and  a  pantheistic  Socialism  on  the  other. 
"  The  venerable  Genius  of  a  Divine  Past  goes  round  with 
cowl  and  crozier.  .  .  .  The  young  Genius  of  a  Godless 
Future  .  .  .  preaches  the  promise  of  a  golden  age,  when 
priests  and  kings  shall  be  hurled  from  their  oppressive  seat, 
and  freed  humanity,  relieved  from  the  incubus  of  worship, 
shall  start  itself  to  the  proportions  of  a  God.  Who  shall 
abide  in  peace  the  crash  and  conflict  of  this  war?  He  only, 
I  believe,  whose  allegiance  is  neither  to  the  antiquated  Past, 
nor  to  the  speculative  Future;  but  to  the  imperishable,  the 
ever-present  Soul  of  man  as  it  is;  who  keeps  close  amid 
every  change,  to  the  reality  of  human  nature  which  changes 
not;    and  who,   following  chiefly   the   revelations   of   the 

200 


X849-I857]  F.   W.    NEWMAN 

Divine  will  to  the  open  and  conscious  mind,  and  reading 
Scripture,  history,  and  life,  by  their  interpreting  light,  feels 
the  serenity,  and  rests  on  the  stability  of  God." 

In  the  evening  an  excellent  sermon  was  preached  in  Hope 
Street  Church  by  the  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed,  in  which  he 
showed,  by  a  selection  of  representative  men  from  various 
sects,  that  the  essentials  of  Christianity  were  common  to 
them  all. 

The  general  impression  left  upon  Dr.  Martineau's  mind 
by  the  years  at  Hope  Street  may  be  given  in  the  words  of 
his  Biographical  Memoranda,  in  which,  strangely  enough, 
he  makes  no  allusion  to  the  great  literary  activity  by  which 
this  period  was  marked :  — 

"  With  freshened  heart  I  resumed  my  duties,  both  minis- 
terial and  academical.  No  revolution,  however,  had  been 
wrought  in  me  by  the  year  of  absence,  and  the  new  materials 
of  thought  and  feeling  which  had  accumulated  silently  flowed 
into  the  same  channels  of  method  which  previous  experience 
had  traced.  For  eight  years  more  I  preached  and  lectured 
under  conditions  little  varied.  If  there  was  any  marked 
change,  it  was  that  I  paid  more  assiduous  attention  to  the  in- 
struction of  the  younger  members  of  my  congregation  in  his- 
torical and  theological  knowledge.  Finding,  for  instance,  that 
very  confused  ideas  prevailed  respecting  the  Communion  Ser- 
vice, I  thought  it  desirable  to  give  a  nine  months'  course  of 
v/eekly  evening  lectures  on  the  History  of  the  Eucharist,  its 
inner  doctrine  and  its  outer  forms ;  and,  at  the  end,  to  clear 
its  permanent  significance  from  all  foreign  accretions,  and  in- 
vite those  of  my  hearers  to  whom  that  significance  was  dear 
to  meet  me  for  a  short  office  of  self-dedication  (tantamount  to 
Confirmation)  prior  to  the  next  Communion.  To  avoid  in- 
terference with  the  Sunday  classes  and  services,  these  lec- 
tures were  given  on  a  week  day. 

"  The  later  years  of  my  College  engagement  at  Alanchester 
were  deprived  of  one  charm  which  had  rendered  the  earlier 
ones  memorable  to  me.  Francis  William  Newman,  who  had 
been  one  of  our  professional  staff  from  the  first,  had  removed 
to  University  College,  London ;  and  his  departure  withdrew, 
not  only  from  our  class-rooms  their  most  brilliant  light,  but 
from  us  his  colleagues  —  especially  from  Mr.  Tayler  and  my- 

201 


HOPE    STREET  [1849-1857 

self  —  a  personal  friend  for  whom  we  had  contracted  a  deep 
and  even  venerating  affection.  Though  the  change  of  reli- 
gious opinion  which  was  then  going  on  in  his  mind  was  si- 
lently wrought  out  in  his  own  study,  and  was  not  even  known 
to  us  in  its  progress,  yet  it  latently  carried  in  it  many  sources 
of  sympathy  and  lines  of  mental  approach  which,  however 
little  marked  at  the  time,  made  themselves  felt.  When  the 
extent  of  his  change  was  avowed,  it  seemed  to  fix  his  theo- 
logical position  at  a  serious  distance  from  ours,  and  to  call  in 
some  of  its  relations  for  critical  resistance,  or  at  least  some 
statement  of  the  grounds  of  dissent.  But  the  passages  of  con- 
troversy that  took  place  between  us  in  no  way  affected  our 
friendship,  the  harmony  of  our  sentiment  and  judgment  being 
in  truth  vastly  deeper  than  the  difference.  Even  in  regard 
to  the  most  sensitive  point  for  a  Christian  disciple  —  the  es- 
timate of  the  character  of  Jesus  —  it  was  obvious  that  the 
variance  was  one  not  of  moral  feeling,  but  of  historical  inter- 
pretation. The  temper  condemned  by  Mr.  Newman  was  not 
that  to  which  I  gave  my  reverence ;  nor  should  I,  had  it  stood 
before  me,  have  directed  on  it  any  other  sentiment  than  his. 
It  was  simply  that  we  put  a  different  construction  on  the  bio- 
graphical memorials  preserved  in  the  Gospels ;  or  else  that  he 
continued  to  receive  as  historically  true  parts  of  those  memo- 
rials which  appeared,  and  still  appear,  to  me  fictitious  accre- 
tions from  the  Apostolic  or  post- Apostolic  age.  The  ideal 
life,  of  filial  communion  with  God  and  trustful  surrender  to 
his  righteous  and  loving  will,  remained  the  same  to  both ;  to 
him,  a  glorious  possibility  in  the  present  and  the  future ;  to  me, 
not  without  also  representative  in  the  past.  If  I  cling  to  the 
historical  element  in  Religion,  it  is  because  it  embodies  for 
me  in  concrete  form  the  spiritually  true  and  perfect.  If  he 
dispenses  with  it,  it  is  to  set  free  Divine  and  eternal  relations 
from  the  accidents  of  time,  the  imperfections  of  men,  and  the 
uncertainties  of  tradition.  In  spite,  therefore,  of  our  position 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  Christian  name,  the  real  affinity  of 
thought  could  not  fail  to  make  itself  felt.  To  his  vigilant  ac- 
tivity of  mind,  his  readiness  to  start  new  questions,  his  fer- 
tility of  suggestion,  his  self-forgetful  courage  in  assailing 
questionable  prejudices  and  habits,  I  am  deeply  grateful  for 
many  an  awakening  from  my  own  more  conservative  ten- 
dency, opening  my  eyes  to  social  errors  and  wrongs  which  I 
might  not  have  noticed,  and  exhibiting  remedies  which  at 
least  demanded  a  careful  estimate." 


202 


X849-I857]    RELIGIOUS    INSTRUCTION 

In  relation  to  the  classes  for  religious  instruction,  alluded 
to  in  the  foregoing  extract,  the  following  more  detailed 
account  will  be  found  interesting  and  suggestive.  It  is 
contained  in  a  letter,  of  April  2,  1852,  to  Dr.  W.  B.  Car- 
penter, who  had  evidently  addressed  to  him  some  questions 
on  the  subject.  The  congregation  referred  to  at  the  begin- 
ning was  the  one  assembling  at  Rosslyn  Hill  Chapel, 
Hampstead. 

"  There  cannot  be  any  doubt  that,  in  a  congregation  so  rich 
as  yours  in  intellectual  resource,  as  well  as  in  reliable  zeal,  a 
great  deal  might  be  efficiently  done,  without  additional  pres- 
sure upon  the  minister,  for  the  religious  instruction  of  the 
young  people.  The  range  of  subjects  susceptible  of  syste- 
matic religious  treatment  is  so  wide  that,  with  only  sufficient 
mutual  understanding  to  avoid  repetition  and  contradiction, 
each  instructor  might  choose  his  work  according  to  his  par- 
ticular taste  and  qualifications.  Natural  Theology,  Moral  Phi- 
losophy, Hebrew  History,  the  Gospel  narratives,  the  Pauline 
Christianity,  the  history  of  Christian  doctrine,  the  distinctive 
peculiarities  of  the  chief  religions  of  the  world,  the  applica- 
tion of  Christianity  to  the  present  problems  of  society,  —  all 
afford  abundant  materials  for  the  useful  Sunday  instruction 
of  a  class.  I  have  always  found  it  necessary  to  have  tzuo 
classes,  —  sometimes  three.  In  the  younger  one,  children 
from  about  nine  to  fifteen  years  old  have  been  provided  for ; 
and  the  business  of  this  class  has  always  been  scriptural,  a 
Gospel  being  usually  taken  as  the  groundwork,  and  the  requi- 
site illustrative  information,  historical,  geographical  and  chron- 
ological, being  furnished  orally,  and  prevented  from  escaping 
by  frequent  questions.  The  comparison  of  Gospel  with  Gospel 
brings  out  a  good  deal  of  useful  remark ;  and  when  once  the 
mental  picture  is  clearly  formed  of  the  incident  narrated,  the 
apprehension  of  its  moral  and  religious  significance  is  readily 
given.  I  have  once  used  Dr.  H.  Ware's  '  Life  of  the  Sav- 
iour,' but  greatly  prefer  the  direct  employment  of  the  Scrip- 
tures. I  need  not  say  that  the  constant  use  of  maps  and 
engravings  for  illustration,  as  well  as  of  historical  tables,  adds 
an  essential  value  to  the  lessons.  I  have  always  had  this 
younger  class  immediately  after  the  morning  service  for  about 
forty  or  forty-five  minutes. 

"  The  young  people  of  more  advanced  age  (no  limit  being 

203 


HOPE    STREET  [1849-1857 

fixed  at  the  upper  end)  require  to  be  divided  according  to  sex, 
if  the  work  on  which  they  are  engaged  requires  oral  examina- 
tion ;  otherwise  they  are  not  free  and  open  in  their  answers. 
I  have  conducted  classes  in  this  way  through  Milman's  '  His- 
tory of  the  Jews  ' ;  his  '  History  of  Christianity  ' ;  Butler's 
'  Analogy  ' ;  Channing's  '  Discourses  on  the  Evidences  ' ;  and 
other  standard  works.  But  the  difficulty  of  finding  separate 
hours  convenient  respectively  for  the  young  women  and  for 
the  young  men  has  induced  me  of  late  to  unite  them  in  one 
class,  and  consequently  to  abandon  the  examination  and  sub- 
stitute a  Lecture,  with  references  to  books,  and,  when  the  class 
is  not  too  numerous,  personal  correction  of  the  notes  made 
by  the  hearers  of  the  lecture.  When  the  young  people  have 
reached  the  age  for  this  senior  class,  they  have  usually  become 
serious  and  reflective,  and  are  trying  their  deeper  powers  of 
thought  upon  the  greatest  themes  of  religion.  The  most  sea- 
sonable guidance  is  accordingly  rendered  to  them  by  treating 
of  the  ultimate  grounds  of  faith,  and  dealing  with  the  questions 
included  in  the  '  Theory  of  Religion.'  Systematic  courses  on 
natural  Morals  and  Faith  —  with  critical  Reviews  of  different 
schemes  of  doctrine  on  these  subjects  —  I  have  found  to  be 
apparently  the  most  useful ;  and  I  have  the  more  readily  taken 
up  this  class  of  topics  because  the  more  advanced  Scriptural 
studies  are  separately  provided  for  by  a  Sunday  Lecture  given, 
to  an  audience  of  various  ages,  an  hour  before  the  Morning 
Service.  The  senior  class  used  to  meet  me  on  Sunday  after- 
noon; but  the  claims  of  our  Sunday  Schools  now  interfere 
with  this  arrangement,  and  we  assemble  at  Five  o'clock  every 
Wednesday  afternoon.  The  two  classes  comprise  from  sixty  to 
seventy  young  persons.  Though  I  have  continued  these  plans 
during  the  greater  part  of  my  residence  here,  I  am  often 
tempted,  in  moments  of  depression,  to  doubt  whether  they  effect 
the  good  I  could  desire.  The  disappointments  connected  with 
them  are  not  few.  Yet  I  have  never  suspended  them  for  a  time 
without  becoming  convinced  that,  if  their  existence  be  a  dubious 
good,  their  non-existence  is  a  certain  evil ; — a  conclusion  which 
perhaps  expresses  pretty  nearly  the  result  of  all  one's  experi- 
ence of  effort ;  —  it  is  reserved  for  God  to  do  all  the  good ;  it 
is  enough  for  us  to  stop  a  portion  of  the  evil." 

These  classes  for  members  of  his  congregation  did  not 
exhaust  Mr.  Martineau's  energy  or  his  sense  of  ministerial 
duty.     There  were  elementary  day-schools  connected  with 

204 


I849-I857]      ELEMENTARY    SCHOOLS 

his  congregation,  and  in  these  the  task  of  united  religious 
education,  conducted  by  himself  or  under  his  direction,  was 
successfully  achieved.  An  account  of  this  is  given  in  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Edward  Enfield,  Feb.  22,  i860: — • 

"  The  religious  instruction  in  our  Liverpool  day-schools,  not 
being  predetermined  by  any  Rules  in  the  Constitution,  varied 
in  its  methods  from  time  to  time.  School  was  opened  in  the 
morning,  and  closed  in  the  afternoon  by  a  short  prayer  and 
hymn  ;  —  always  the  latter ;  though  there  were  periods  when 
the  former,  from  deference  to  Catholic  scruples,  was  omitted. 

"  For  most  of  the  years  of  my  Liverpool  life  it  was  my  prac- 
tice to  take  a  Bible  Class  in  each  school  (Boys  and  Girls)  once 
a  week  at  least,  sometimes  twice;  and  the  lessons  given  in- 
volved for  the  children  a  preparation  which  furnished  similar 
work  with  the  Master  and  Mistress  on  the  other  days  of  the 
week,  or  at  least  on  some  of  them.  This  arrangement,  how- 
ever, affected  only  the  two  highest  classes  (combined  for  the 
purpose)  in  each  school;  and  the  religious  instruction  of  the 
others  was  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  Master  and  Mistress, 
except  so  far  as  the  reading-lessons  carried  in  them  more  or 
less  provision  for  the  want. 

"  Latterly,  under  Inspection,  our  paid  Teachers  became  so 
much  more  competent  to  the  conduct  of  classes  than  any  volun- 
teer visitors,  that  the  system  of  direct  teaching  by  the  latter  was 
greatly  reduced ;  and  instead  of  it,  a  general  superintendence 
only  was  given  to  the  instruction  as  imparted  by  the  Master, 
Mistress,  and  Pupil  Teachers,  and  the  results  tested  by  occa- 
sional examination.  Under  increasing  pressure  of  occupation 
I  allowed  this  change  to  take  place  in  the  Bible  classes  as  well 
as  in  the  others ;  and  I  do  not  think  they  suffered  by  it.  I  kept 
my  eye  upon  what  was  going  on,  and  knew  that  all  was  right. 
But  though  our  local  circumstances  and  excellent  personnel 
rendered  this  reduced  am^ount  of  attention  sufhcient,  I  do  not 
approve  of  it  as  a  system ;  and  we  had  begun  to  retrace  our 
steps  to  the  old  method  before  I  left  Liverpool.  The  Bible 
classes  were  held  within  the  regular  School  hours ;  and  we 
never  had  the  slightest  objection  raised  to  the  union  of  all  the 
children  in  it.  I  greatly  doubt  the  wisdom  of  making  rules  of 
exemption,  in  anticipation  of  possible  scruples.  Had  such 
scruples  arisen,  I  should  have  dealt  with  them  quietly,  so  as  to 
meet  the  individual  case;  but  as  they  were  not  presupposed 
and  asked  for,  they  never  appeared;  and  I  had  Catholics  and 

205 


HOPE    STREET  [1850 

Protestants,  Church  and  Dissenters,  Independents  and  Uni- 
tarians, in  the  classes  together,  and  never  the  vvliisper  of  a  dif- 
ficulty. Yet  we  never  had  more  than  four  or  five  per  cent  of 
the  children  from  our  own  religious  body. 

"  A  very  large  proportion  of  the  Day  School  children  came 
also  to  the  Sunday  School,  and  had  thus  extended  and  special 
opportunities  of  religious  instruction. 

"  So  far  as  our  system  worked  well,  —  and  the  results  Vv-ere 
such  as  to  give  the  schools  the  best  reputation,  —  I  think  we 
owe  it  to  the  Hexibility  of  our  methods  and  the  absence  of  rigid 
predetermination  by  rules." 

In  his  literary  work  he  was  assisted  by  Mrs.  Martineau, 
who  w^as  always  ready  to  slip  into  his  study  when  he  wanted 
to  read  to  her  passages  or  whole  articles  on  which  he  desired 
to  hear  her  views.  He  could  not  bear  having  anything 
printed  before  she  had  approved  the  contents.  His  sensitive 
and  finely  strung  nature  was  helped  by  her  quick  perceptions 
and  sound  common-sense,  which  were  balanced  by  deep  and 
vivid  emotions.^ 

In  February,  1850,  Mr.  Martineau  lost  a  beloved  sister, 
Mrs.  Greenhow,  of  Newcastle-on-Tyne.  Though  he  had 
been  in  some  measure  prepared  by  accounts  of  her  failing 
strength,  her  death  was  unexpected;  and  he  rose  from 
several  days'  confinement  in  bed  with  a  cold  in  his  throat, 
not  to  see  her  for  the  last  time  on  earth,  but  to  attend  her 
funeral.  He  was  joined  by  his  brother,  Mr.  Robert  INIar- 
tineau;  and  on  their  return  journey  they  spent  a  day  with 
their  sister  Harriet  at  the  Knoll  at  Ambleside.  On  this 
occasion  he  embraced  the  opportunity  of  calling  on  J\Irs. 
Arnold  at  Fox  How. 

In  the  spring  he  accepted  an  invitation  to  preach  in 
^Dublin.  He  was  cordially  welcomed  by  old  friends,  and 
some  who  were  familiar  with  the  tradition  of  his  name 
then  saw  and  heard  him  for  the  first  time,  and  received  his 


1  From  a  letter  lately  received  from  a  friend  who  was  at  that  time  intimate 
with  the  family. 

206 


1850]    "THE    CHURCH    OF    ENGLAND" 

kindly  greeting  after  the  service.  Coming  straight  from 
his  beautiful  new  church,  he  was  naturally  struck  with  the 
dingy  and  untidy  look  of  the  old  Chapel  where  he  had 
begun  his  ministry. 

At  this  time  the  Church  of  England  was  profoundly  agi- 
tated by  the  Gorham  controversy.  Dr.  Phillpotts,  the 
Bishop  of  Exeter,  refused  to  institute  Mr.  Gorham  into  a 
living  to  which  he  had  been  presented  by  the  Lord  Chan- 
cellor, on  the  ground  that  he  did  not  hold  the  Church  doc- 
trine of  baptismal  regeneration.  Mr.  Gorham  appealed  to 
the  law,  and  in  1849  ^^^^  Dean  of  Arches  Court  pronounced 
against  him,  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  High  Church 
party.  He  appealed,  however,  to  the  Judicial  Committee 
of  the  Privy  Council,  and  the  judgment  of  the  lower  Court 
was  reversed,  on  the  ground  that  many  eminent  prelates 
and  divines  had  m.aintained  opinions  like  Mr.  Gorham's 
without  censure.  It  was  now  the  turn  of  the  Evangelicals 
to  exult,  while  their  opponents  bewailed  their  subjection  to 
a  secular  tribunal.  Mr.  Martineau  took  advantage  of  these 
events  to  write  for  the  April  number  of  the  "  Westminster 
Review,"  1850,  a  long  and  elaborate  article  on  "  The  Church 
of  England,"  ^  in  which  he  endeavoured  to  lift  the  whole 
controversy  to  higher  ground,  and  to  point  out  how  far 
the  Church  was  at  that  time  from  fulfilling  its  duties  as 
a  national  institution.  After  a  humorous  description  of 
the  attitude  of  Englishmen  towards  law  and  theology,  and 
their  contentment  with  practical  results,  he  remarks :  "  The 
decisions  in  the  Articles  may  be  stringent,  the  pretensions 
of  the  Ordination-service  arrogant,  and  the  imprecations 
of  the  Creed  unflinching;  but  while  they  are  not  pressed 
into  any  visible  form  of  ecclesiastical  action,  the  persons 
of  a  few  mild  and  charitable  Bishops  suffice  to  counteract 
their  effect,  and  to  persuade  men,  fresh  from  the  very  sound 


1  Reprinted  in  Miscellanies,  and  in  Essays,  II. 

207 


HOPE    STREET  [1850 

of  licr  anathemas,  that  they  belong  to  the  most  liberal  of 
Churches."  But  in  the  last  fifteen  years  a  new  spirit  had 
grown  up,  and  the  boast  of  variety  was  exchanged  for  pre- 
tensions to  unity,  and  the  widest  differences  co-existed  only 
till  one  class  was  strong  enough  to  expel  the  other.  The 
result  among  the  educated  laity  was  one  of  utter  disgust 
at  both  parties ;  "  of  amazement  to  find  themselves  thrown 
back  upon  the  scholastic  jargon  of  the  Middle  Ages,  and 
into  the  dreams  of  an  unawakened  civilisation ;  of  shame 
at  the  utter  unreality,  the  emptiness,  the  cold  distance  from 
nature  and  life,  of  the  tenets  said  to  constitute  the  religion 
of  this  nation."  This  was  a  question  in  which  every  Eng- 
lishman had  an  interest ;  for  already  the  demand  was  being 
raised  that  the  whole  education  of  the  country  should  be 
delivered  into  the  hands  of  the  clergy,  and  that  the  Church, 
while  retaining  its  dignity  and  power  as  a  State  institution, 
should  be  free  from  the  control  of  Parliament.  In  a  private 
sect  any  amount  of  sacerdotal  arrogance  would  be  allowable ; 
but  a  Church  which  claimed  to  be  national  should  teach  the 
religion  of  the  nation,  and  this  the  Church  of  England  had 
ceased  to  do.  "  Recent  events  .  .  .  have  awakened  thou- 
sands to  the  consciousness  of  an  alarming  interval  between 
the  dogmatic  system  of  the  Church  and  the  living  spirit 
of  the  time;  and  for  one  who  refers  this  to  the  degeneracy 
of  the  age,  there  are  a  hundred  who  regard  it  as  a  super- 
annuation of  the  Church."  This  recoil  from  the  forms  of 
the  old  orthodoxy  was  not  the  result  of  a  light  and  audacious 
spirit,  but  sprang,  in  a  large  class  of  cases,  from  a  profound 
moral  earnestness.  "  Religion,  like  poetry,  is  a  life,  a  spirit, 
that  must  find  its  own  forms  by  development  from  within, 
and  cannot  be  moulded  by  external  constriction;  and  the 
larger  freedom  you  have  courage  to  allow,  the  less  will  you 
have  to  regret  irregularity  and  distortion ;  for  it  has  inher- 
ently a  tendency  to  order  and  beauty,  only  determined,  not 
by  authoritative  mechanism,  but  by  the  rhythm  and  sym- 

208 


I850]     "THE   CHURCH   OF    ENGLAND" 

metry  of  the  affections  themselves."  On  the  other  hand, 
"  divisions  without  end,  and  passions  without  check,  have 
been  the  invariable  result  of  ecclesiastical  legislation  for 
unity  and  peace.  It  brings  with  it  strong  delusion  and  a 
corrupting  poison  into  the  clerical  mind;  bewildering  its 
perception  of  the  proportions  of  things,  and  confounding 
the  solemn  and  the  frivolous;  where  mystery  is  deepest, 
raising  highest  the  conceit  of  knowledge;  where  forbear- 
ance is  most  due,  removing  all  restraints  from  anger ;  where 
penalty  can  least  avail,  applying  it  with  cruellest  force; 
substituting  the  pleader's  arts  for  the  disciple's  simplicity, 
and  the  sophist's  pride  for  the  saint's  meekness.  The 
organisation  of  dogma  is  symptomatic  of  the  dissolution  of 
faith;  it  is  an  unwholesome  mushroom  growth  from  the 
rotting  leaves  now  fallen  from  the  tree  of  life."  There  was 
a  large  and  increasing  class  of  doubting  and  dissatisfied 
Churchmen.  They  felt  that  the  forensic  scheme  of  vicarious 
atonement  was  at  variance  with  the  habitual  moral  senti- 
ments of  men,  and  "  that  to  accept  the  offer  of  such  a  doc- 
trine would  be  unworthy  of  a  noble  heart:  for  he  who 
would  not  rather  be  damned  than  escape  through  the  suffer- 
ings of  innocence  and  sanctity  is  so  far  from  the  qualifi- 
cations of  a  saint,  that  he  has  not  even  the  magnanimity  of 
Milton's  fiends."  Hence  the  doctrine  of  reserve,  the  Dis~ 
ciplina  Arcani,  was  gaining  favour  with  Tractarian  leaders. 
But  "  the  guilt  and  discredit  of  artifice  are  spent  only  in 
the  purchase  of  failure.  .  .  .  The  shadow  on  the  dial  of 
history  cannot  be  coaxed  back."  The  devout  layman  and 
the  devout  ecclesiastic  differed  in  their  moral  tastes  and 
standard,  and  the  state  of  mind  extolled  as  spiritual  was 
felt  to  be  only  ecclesiastical.  This  alienation  of  national 
intelligence  and  piety  from  the  Church  was  not  wonderful ; 
for  the  Anglican  and  Evangelical  systems  were  made  up  in 
the  fourth  and  the  sixteenth  centuries,  and  no  change  had 
found  admission  since.  But  the  progress  of  science  had 
14  209 


HOPE    STREET  [1850 

completely  altered  our  picture  of  the  Universe;  and  the 
Articles  of  the  Church  contained  metaphysical  propositions, 
historical  judgments,  and  verdicts  of  literary  criticism, 
which  it  was  no  longer  possible  to  accept.  These  changes 
were  patent  to  all  the  world,  and  placed  the  educated  laity 
in  the  most  dangerous  of  all  positions,  —  a  position  above 
the  faith  which  they  professed,  so  that  they  patronised 
where  they  should  have  adored.  It  was  the  duty  of  the 
State,  then,  to  make  provision  for  variety,  and  for  a  gradual 
enlargement  of  the  terms  of  communion,  and  not  perma- 
nently leave  the  Churches  of  our  forefathers  "  to  the  sort 
of  teachers  who  are  now  wearying  the  world  with  their 
puerilities,  and  shocking  it  with  their  intolerance." 

In  the  same  year  a  startling  illustration  of  the  estrange- 
ment of  many  educated  and  religious  laymen  from  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Church  was  afforded  by  the  publication  of  Mr. 
F.  W.  Newman's  "  Phases  of  Faith."  As  we  have  seen, 
Mr.  Martineau  and  Air.  Newman  had  been  associated  as 
professors  at  Manchester  New  College,  and  had  contracted 
a  warm  mutual  friendship;  and  it  was  accordingly  not 
without  personal  pain  that  the  former  observed  the  destruc- 
tive character  of  the  conclusions  which  Mr.  Newman  had 
reached,  and  the  necessary  loss  of  his  sympathy  in  cherished 
persuasions.  Their  main  divergence  was  in  their  estimate 
of  the  character  and  historical  position  of  Christ.  To  the 
end  of  his  life  Mr.  Martineau  retained  the  profoundest 
veneration  for  Christ,  and  the  attitude  of  a  disciple  towards 
him ;  and  though  he  has  been  accused  of  "  destructive 
criticism,"  his  aim  was  always  to  destroy  the  lower  in  order 
to  preserve  the  higher,  and  by  a  just  historical  method  to 
clear  away  the  accretions  which  obscured  or  distorted  that 
grand  and  unique  personality.  His  friend's  depreciating 
views,  therefore,  touched  him  in  a  very  tender  point;  and 
it  shows  the  sincerity  of  his  attachment  to  the  principles 
of  religious  liberty  that,  instead  of  resorting  to  reproach  or 

210     - 


1850]    NEWMAN'S  "PHASES  OF  FAITH" 

alienation,  he  stated  calmly,  yet  forcibly,  the  grounds  of 
his  dissent  from  the  views,  and  retained  his  friendship  for 
the  man.  His  luminous  criticism  of  the  book  appeared  in 
the  "  Prospective  Review  "  for  August,^  and  is  of  great 
value  as  indicating  the  position  which  he  then  occupied  in 
relation  to  Christianity  and  its  records.  That  position  must 
have  seemed  at  the  time  to  be  a  very  advanced  one,  and  the 
principles  are  clearly  enunciated  which  he  carried  out  more 
fully  in  later  life.  The  earlier  part  of  the  review  deals  with 
the  personal  characteristics  of  the  writer,  and  points  out 
the  difference  between  the  Catholic  and  Evangelical  tem- 
peraments :  "  The  Evangelical  lives  wholly  in  the  spiritual 
as  incompatible  with  the  natural ;  the  Catholic  seeks  to 
subjugate  the  natural  (as  he  conceives  God  does)  by  inter- 
penetration  of  the  spiritual."  The  former  type  of  thought 
is  defective  in  the  imaginative  faculty,  and  totally  separates 
the  real  from  the  ideal,  whereas  the  Catholic  "  detects  the 
ideal  in  the  real,  and,  like  a  golden  sunset  on  the  smoke- 
cloud  of  a  city,  glorifies  the  very  soil  of  earth  with  heavenly 
light."  To  this  characteristic  must  be  attributed  especially 
the  author's  impatience  at  the  historical  details  of  the  life 
of  Christ.  After  sketching  Mr.  Newman's  changes  of 
thought,  the  review  proceeds  to  criticise  his  attitude  towards 
Christianity.  The  principle  on  which  this  criticism  is  based 
is  found  in  Mr.  Martineau's  view  of  revelation :  "  That 
Revelation  can  be  made  only  in  the  shape  of  orders  imposed 
upon  the  will,  or  information  communicated  to  the  under- 
standing, is  a  postulate  which  we  cannot  allow.  God  may 
speak  to  us,  —  in  preternatural  as  in  natural  providence,  — 
through  our  moral  perceptions  and  affections,  —  according 
to  the  manner  of  Art,  by  creation  of  spiritual  Beauty, 
rather  than  after  the  type  of  Science,  by  logical  delivery  of 
truth.     In  this  case,  all  that  can  be  required  of  the  vehicle 


1  Reprinted  in  Miscellanies,  and  in  Essays,  III. 

211 


HOPE    STREET  [1850 

is,  that  it  be  an  adequate  and  preservative  framework  for 
the  Divine  image  presented  before  the  human  soul.  In  the 
Gospels,  taken  with  relation  to  the  Pauline  writings,  this 
requisition  appears  to  us  fully  met.  Whatever  uncertainty 
there  may  be,  in  this  or  that  detail,  as  to  what  Christ  did, 
there  is  surely  no  reasonable  doubt  as  to  what  he  was;  and 
if  this  be  left,  then,  so  far  from  all  being  lost,  the  essential 
power  of  the  Christian  religion  is  permanently  safe."  Rev- 
elation of  this  kind  is  compatible  with  "  such  fallibility  in 
matters  of  intellectual  and  literary  estimate,  as  every  theory 
must  allow  which  leaves  to  the  inspired  prophet  any  human 
faculties  at  all,  or  any  means  of  contact  with  the  mind  of 
his  age  and  nation."  On  this  ground  it  is  maintained  that, 
though  the  claim  to  be  the  expected  Jewish  Messiah  had 
no  basis  in  reality,  it  was  not  indicative  of  any  moral  im- 
perfection ;  for  "  due  allowance  "  must  be  "  made  for  the 
vague  and  ambiguous  meaning  of  the  word  '  Messiah.'  " 
The  theocratic  faith  had  its  religious  side,  "  intent  upon  the 
realisation  of  a  spiritual  Ideal  " ;  and  if  Jesus  never  posi- 
tively denied  the  political  functions  of  Messiah,  an  infallible 
moral  perception  detained  him  from  every  tendency  to 
realise  them. 

In  his  criticism  of  doctrine  Mr.  Newman  objected  espe- 
cially to  the  theory  that  the  Christian  "  religion  is  embodied 
in  the  Life  and  Spirit  of  Christ,  who  is  a  perfect  man  and 
the  moral  image  of  God."  In  vindicating  this  position  the 
reviewer  maintains  that  the  literary  problem  is  so  simple 
as  to  leave  no  serious  uncertainty ;  that,  in  any  case,  "  the 
Divine  Image  furnished  by  the  life  of  Christ  is  now  secured 
to  the  soul  of  Christendom,  —  presides  in  secret  over  its 
moral  estimates,  directs  its  aspirations,  and  inspires  its 
worship,"  and  the  established  power  of  a  soul  over  multi- 
tudes of  others  must  enter  as  an  element  into  our  veneration ; 
and,  finally,  that,  as  "  all  souls  are  of  one  species :  or  rather, 
are  lifted  above  the  level  where  diversity  of  species  prevails, 

212 


1853]     NEWMAN'S  "PHASES  OF  FAITH" 

so  as  to  range,  not  with  Nature,  but  with  God,"  Christ's 
humanity  is  not  in  itself  any  evidence  of  moral  imperfection. 
He  agrees,  indeed,  with  Mr.  Newman  "  in  rejecting  all 
notion  of  an  absolute  oracle,  to  whose  dicta  we  are  sub- 
missively to  bow  " ;  but  then  "  sinlessness  of  Conscience 
does  not  require  Omniscience  in  the  Understanding."  At 
the  close  of  the  article  he  defends  the  beneficent  agency  of 
Christianity  in  the  course  of  its  history,  especially  as  affect- 
ing the  condition  of  women,  slavery,  and  the  Reformation. 
The  review  concludes  as  follows :  "  If  it  hath  pleased  God 
the  Creator  to  fit  up  one  system  with  one  Sun,  to  make  the 
delight  of  several  worlds ;  so  may  it  fitly  have  pleased  God 
the  Revealer  to  kindle  amid  the  ecliptic  of  history  One 
Divine  Soul,  to  glorify  whatever  lies  within  the  great  year 
of  his  moral  Providence,  and  represent  the  Father  of  Lights. 
The  exhibition  of  Christ  as  his  Moral  Image  has  maintained 
in  the  souls  of  men  a  common  spiritual  type  to  correct  the 
aberrations  of  their  individuality,  to  unite  the  humblest  and 
the  highest,  to  merge  all  minds  into  one  family,  —  and 
that  the  family  of  God." 

Though  it  is  anticipating  a  few  years,  it  seems  best  to 
refer  here  to  the  review  of  the  second  edition  of  the 
"  Phases  of  Faith,"  which  appeared  in  1853.  This  review 
is  in  the  main  a  reply  to  one  of  Mr.  Newman's  additional 
chapters,  in  which  he  elaborates  his  argument  against  the 
moral  perfection  of  Christ.  Mr.  Martineau  still  rests  his 
Christianity  on  that  moral  perfection,  and  in  the  holiest 
elements  of  his  conception  of  God  traces  lineaments  of  that 
Historic  Person.  He  maintains  that  moral  perfection  con- 
sists in  entire  fidelity  to  a  trust,  and  that  therefore  a  hy- 
perphysical  nature  or  endowment  is  not  an  indispensable 
condition  of  a  sinless  life.  "  Were  Christ's  immaculate 
excellence  attained  on  these  exceptional  conditions,  not 
only  would  it  fail  to  impose,  but  it  would  actually  disprove, 
any  obligation  in  us  to  be  like  him."    He  then  guards  him- 

213 


HOPE    STREET  [1853 

self  against  a  misapprehension  of  this  view :  "  Of  Absolute 
excellence,  as  of  absolute  power  and  wisdom,  though  they 
be  objects  of  necessary  belief  as  predicates  of  the  Most 
High,  we  can  form  no  positive  conception;  but  the  Moral 
Perfection  which  we  attribute  to  Christ  is  most  distinctly 
conceivable:  we  read  it  off  at  once  from  the  portraiture 
of  the  Gospels;  it  is  simply  the  beauty  of  holiness  which 
we  see  in  the  image  there ;  and  we  only  say :  *  This,  of  all 
historical  realisations,  is  morally  the  highest;  and  having 
gazed  on  him,  we  shall  henceforth  know  better  what  Divine 
goodness  is,  and  see  in  the  Supreme  Heaven  and  Infinite 
Archetype  of  all,  a  tender  depth  and  a  speaking  look  we 
had  not  discerned  before.'  "  To  the  objection  that  there 
was  an  arrogant  tone  in  Christ's  Messianic  claims,  Mr. 
Martineau  accepts  in  part  the  answer  that  he  had  all  these 
prerogatives,  and  it  was  only  truth  and  necessity  to  claim 
them ;  but  he  qualifies  this  acceptance  by  the  statement  of 
his  conviction  "  that  our  present  Gospels  exhibit  this  orac- 
ular and  Messianic  character  of  Christ's  teaching  in  great 
excess  of  the  reality."  Other  objections  of  Mr.  Newman's 
are  examined  with  great  care,  though  appearing  to  the 
reviewer  to  rest  on  very  eccentric  readings  of  the  evan- 
gelical history.  At  the  close  Mr.  Martineau  reiterates  his 
conviction  that  "  notwithstanding  the  imperfect  medium 
through  which  we  contemplate  the  author  of  our  religion, 
the  image  is  clearly  discernible  of  a  most  powerful  and 
holy  individuality,  harmonising  opposite  tendencies,  bal- 
ancing the  affinities  between  earth  and  heaven,  rich  in 
compassion  for  suffering  and  indignation  at  wrong,  denying 
to  self  and  in  close  communion  with  God,  and  inspired  at 
once  to  teach  the  deepest  truths  of  faith  and  personate  the 
purest  elements  of  goodness." 

A  short  article  in  the  "  Prospective  Review  "  for  May, 
1850,  exposes  the  weakness  and  inconsistency  of  a  dis- 
course by  Dr.  Robert  Vaughan  on  "  Letter  and  Spirit " ; 

214 


I85I]    "BATTLE    OF    THE    CHURCHES" 

but  Mr.  Martineau  does  not  attempt  himself  "  to  lay  out 
systematically  the  great  subject  of  which  he  treats."  ^ 

In  1850  England  was  seized  with  one  of  those  fits  of 
excitement  to  which  the  staid  English  nation  seems  curi- 
ously liable.  The  cry  of  "  No  Popery  "  rang  through  the 
land ;  for  a  "  Papal  Aggression  "  had  been  made,  and  the 
Pope  had  dared  to  appoint  Catholic  Bishops  to  English 
sees.  The  horror  spent  itself  in  the  futile  "  Ecclesiastical 
Titles  Act,"  passed  in  the  following  year,  and  the  country 
once  more  breathed  freely.  While  the  national  indignation 
was  at  its  height,  and  before  parliamentary  action  was  taken, 
Mr.  Martineau  wrote,  for  the  January  number  of  the 
"Westminster  Review,"  1851,  a  long  and  careful  article, 
entitled  "  The  Battle  of  the  Churches."  ^  It  begins  with 
a  caustic  allusion  to  Comte's  "  grand  law  of  human  pro- 
gression," which  stood  aghast  at  the  prevailing  excitement. 
It  then  enters  on  the  main  subject,  the  relation  between 
sacerdotal  claims  and  the  rights  of  the  State.  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau, in  contrast  with  the  popular  view,  does  full  justice 
to  "  the  depth  and  solidity  of  the  Catholic  dogma,  its  wide 
and  various  adaptation  to  wants  ineffaceable  from  the 
human  heart,  its  wonderful  fusion  of  the  supernatural  into 
the  natural  life,  its  vast  resources  for  a  powerful  hold  upon 
the  conscience."  He  accordingly  anticipates  further  prog- 
ress in  the  Roman  Catholic  reaction;  and,  while  pleading 
that  nothing  illegal  has  been  done,  admits  that  there  is 
some  just  ground  for  the  suspicion  that  a  step  made  good 
by  the  Papal  hierarchy  introduces  an  unsound  element  into 
English  life.  The  reason  is  that  Catholicism  differs  from 
ordinary  Dissent  in  being  a  polity,  which  claims  to  rest  on 
supernatural  sanctions,  and  therefore  to  be  intrinsically 
superior  to  the  State.  Hence  it  is  that  it  cannot  co-exist 
tranquilly  with  English  institutions;    "that  every  step  it 

^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 

*  Reprinted  in  Miscellanies,  and  in  Essays,  II.  .  , 

215 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

may  make  is  an  encroachment  upon  wholesome  liberty; 
that  it  is  innocent  only  where  it  is  insignificant,  and  where 
it  is  ascendant  will  neither  part  with  power  nor  use  it  well." 
Nevertheless  Catholic  Emancipation  was  given  with  full 
knowledge  of  the  claims  of  Rome;  the  new  hierarchy  is 
not  illegal ;  and  the  advice  which  Mr.  Martineau  delivered 
to  his  fellow  countrymen  is,  "Be  just,  and  fear  not;  put 
not  your  trust  in  coercive  laws ;  dream  not  that  divine  truth 
can  be  bought  with  the  coin  of  human  injury ;  be  resolved, 
if  ever  you  have  to  defend  your  own  rights  from  encroach- 
ment, to  enter  the  field  without  reproach."  He  thinks, 
however,  that  the  outcry  was  a  proof,  not  of  the  Protestant, 
but  of  the  sacerdotal  spirit  of  the  English  establishment; 
"  the  anger  of  the  clergy  arises  from  their  holding  the 
very  same  doctrine  as  their  opponents;  viz.,  that  on  the 
same  spot  there  cannot  be  more  than  one  bishop,"  having 
exclusive  possession  of  all  the  means  of  grace,  the  sole 
power  of  transmitting  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  concludes, 
therefore,  that  "  the  malady,  by  becoming  insular  instead 
of  continental,  does  not  abate  its  danger.  In  every  form 
and  in  every  'degree,  mediatorial  persons  entrusted  with 
mediatorial  substances,  and  standing  with  supernatural 
incantations  between  man  and  God,  are  perilous  to  the  well- 
being  of  the  State.  They  occupy  a  position  above  the  law ; 
they  constitute  a  polity  distinct  from  the  civil  organisation, 
and  are  never  content  till  it  is  subordinated  to  their  ends." 
He  then  contends  that  the  sacramental  and  priestly  doc- 
trine of  the  Anglican  movement  is  authorised  by  the  for- 
mularies of  the  Church;  and  he  thus  expresses  his  opinion 
of  the  Anglican  clergy :  "  We  believe  them  to  be  the  most 
pernicious  men  of  all  within  the  compass  of  the  Church; 
but  also  the  most  sincere,  the  most  learned,  the  most  self- 
denying;  the  most  faithful,  intellectually  and  morally,  to 
the  ecclesiastical  training  which  has  been  provided  for 
them."     The  Act  of  Uniformity,  by  enforcing  a  hetero- 

216 


I85I]    "BATTLE    OF    THE    CHURCHES" 

geneous  congeries  of  theological  propositions  with  no 
organic  unity,  has  rendered  absurd,  though  it  has  not  abol- 
ished, the  pretence  of  a  supernatural  trust  of  dogma  in  the 
keeping  of  our  ecclesiastics;  and  this  hollow  profession 
of  an  unreal  unity  has  a  most  unfavourable  influence  on 
the  character  and  culture  of  the  clergy,  producing  a  haughty 
ignorance  of  Nonconformity,  a  perversion  of  history,  and 
opposition  to  the  characteristics  of  the  age  and  to  every 
social  improvement.  The  sacerdotal  character  of  the 
Church,  whether  the  claim  be  true  or  false,  disqualifies  it 
for  recognition  as  the  establishment  in  a  nation  of  mixed 
religions.  Politicians  like  the  "  compromise  "  of  the  prayer- 
book;  but,  though  there  may  be  compromise  in  matters 
of  external  action,  there  can  be  none  in  the  profession  of 
conviction,  and  it  is  impossible  to  assent  at  the  same  time 
to  the  Catholic  and  Calvinistic  schemes  without  unveracity. 
"  It  is  now  too  late  to  sound  the  praises  of  compromise ; 
when  once  it  has  become  detected  inconsistency,  its  charm 
and  power  are  gone;  it  fascinates  only  the  sceptic  con- 
temner of  mankind;  it  repels  the  truthful  and  the  noble." 
"Never  was  incompetency  proved  on  a  scale  so  gigantic; 
never  was  pretence  more  preposterous  than  that  of  the 
Church  to  unite  believers  of  every  shade,  —  with  a  third 
of  the  religious  English  Dissenters,  and  a  third  of  the  Em- 
pire Catholics !  "  Thus  the  Church,  as  at  present  consti- 
tuted, is  disqualified  for  holding  a  national  position.  There 
are  but  two  ways  in  which  the  State  can  recognise  the  reli- 
gion which  has  living  possession  of  the  mind  of  the  nation : 
*'  Either  the  strongest  of  the  actual  sects  may  be  taken  as 
expressive  of  the  general  will,  to  the  exclusion  of  all  the 
rest;  or  they  may  be  all  assumed  as  partial  declarations 
of  national  faith,  to  which,  as  a  whole,  no  one  of  them  is 
competent  to  give  complete  expression."  The  first  method 
would  be  regarded  as  unjust,  and  the  second  is  the  true 
exponent  of  the  present  facts  of  society.     This  would  re- 

217 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

quire  some  range  to  be  left  in  every  service  for  the  free 
ministrations  of  the  clergyman,  and  the  allowing  to  con- 
gregations a  voice  in  the  appointment  of  their  ministers. 
Mr.  Martineau  confesses,  however,  to  a  doubt  whether  such 
a  plan  of  comprehension  is  not  too  late;  and  he  suggests 
an  ecclesiastical  partnership,  in  which  parishes  might  choose 
ministers  who  had  not  received  episcopal  ordination,  but 
had  won  a  University  degree,  and  been  recognised  accord- 
ing to  the  usages  of  some  denomination  known  to  the  law. 
The  essay,  as  a  whole,  shows  that,  while  he  had  no  sym- 
pathy with  the  principles  of  the  British  Anti-State  Church 
Association,  as  the  Liberation  Society  was  then  called,  he 
was  convinced  that  the  position  of  the  existing  State  Church 
was  indefensible. 

To  some  extent  the  same  subject  is  treated  in  the  article 
on  "  Europe  since  the  Reformation,"  contributed  to  the 
"  Prospective  Review,"  February,  1851.^  This  article  is 
a  controversial  review  of  J.  H.  Newman's  "  Lectures  on 
Certain  Difificulties  felt  by  Anglicans  in  submitting  to  the 
Catholic  Church."  It  gives  a  splendid  picture  of  Catholi- 
cism in  its  long  struggle  with  inferior  religions,  and  then 
examines  at  length  its  contrast  with  Protestantism  in  foster- 
ing the  best  fruits  of  civilisation.  It  reaches  the  conclusion 
that  God  "  has  pronounced  that  Sacerdotalism  must  cease 
to  rule,  and  go  out  at  the  lower  end  of  human  life."  But 
the  writer  admits  "  that  the  theory  of  individual  independ- 
ence has  been  carried  to  a  vicious  extreme,  and  that  the 
authority  of  the  State  must  be  extended  over  a  wider  range 
than  the  severity  of  economic  doctrine  has  been  walling  to 
allow;  concerning  itself  again,  with  the  houses,  the  hours, 
the  education,  the  amusements  of  the  people."  Finally,  he 
protests  against  the  unworthy  consternation  into  which 
England  had  been  thrown,  and  deprecates  resort  to  "  the 
stained  and  discarded  weapons  of  law." 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 

2X8 


I85I]      LETTER  TO   DEAN  OF   BRISTOL 

The  Dean  of  Bristol,  the  Very  Rev.  Dr.  Gilbert  Elliot, 
on  perusing  the  former  of  these  articles,  sent  the  reviewer 
a  volume,  accompanied  by  a  short  note,  in  which  he  says 
that  he  thinks  "  the  Church  of  England  scarcely  speaks 
with  so  uncertain  a  voice  as  is  generally  attributed  to  it." 
The  following  is  Mr.  Martineau's  reply :  — 

{Rough  copy  in  shorthand  of  a  reply  to  the  Dean  of  Bristol's 
letter  of  Jan.  31,  1851.) 

Very  Rev.  Sir,  —  I  beg  to  tender  my  sincere  thanks  for  the 
opportunity  you  have  afforded  me  of  learning,  from  your  ser- 
mons as  well  as  from  your  speeches  (which  I  had  read  with 
delight),  your  sentiments  in  relation  to  the  present  ecclesias- 
tical crisis.  If  every  clergyman  possessed  your  clear  appre- 
hension of  the  Protestant  as  opposed  to  the  sacerdotal  principle, 
and  your  generous  attachment  to  it,  there  would  be  no  neces- 
sity for  drawing  attention  to  those  elements  in  the  Prayer-book 
which  are  at  variance  with  it,  and  which  have  enabled  the  Trac- 
tarians  to  gain  so  mischievous  a  success.  That  the  articles 
from  which  you  reason  in  the  fifth  sermon  bear  out  your  con- 
clusion as  to  the  character  and  teaching  of  the  Church,  I  freely 
admit ;  but  the  question  remains  whether  the  offices  for  the 
visitation  of  the  sick,  for  baptism,  for  the  communion,  for  or- 
dination and  consecration,  as  well  as  the  catechism,  and  the 
rubrics,  do  not  bear  out  just  the  opposite  conclusion.  To  me 
it  appears  that  anyone  attempting  to  explain  away  the  traces 
of  a  "  sacramental  system  "  in  these  formularies  could  only  do 
it  by  a  sophistry  as  deplorable  as  that  of  Tract  90.  That  the 
word  Priest  in  particular  is  to  be  understood  in  its  full  sense 
seems  especially  manifest  from  the  whole  tenor  of  the  Com- 
munion Service ;  and  it  is  a  significant  fact  that  in  Dupont's 
Greek  version  of  the  Prayer-book  the  word  tepcu?  (everywhere 
denied  in  the  New  Testament  except  to  our  Lord  in  heaven)  is 
throughout  employed  to  denote  the  officiating  clergyman,  who, 
in  your  view,  is  but  a  Trpeo-^SuVcpo?.  I  am  very  far,  however,  from 
doubting  that,  by  some  mode  of  thought  sufficient  to  satisfy 
the  conscience  of  a  faithful  Christian,  you  contrive  to  har- 
monise and  hold  ex  animo  the  doctrinal  elements  which  to  a 
less  refined  ingenuity  appear  so  hard  to  reconcile. 

But  why  should  ingenuity  at  all  be  required  in  order  to  give 
unity  to  the  teachings  of  a  Church?  Surely  there  is  no  diffi- 
culty, where  there  is  a  heart  of  Christian  simplicity,  in  speaking 

219 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

with  a  plain  consistency,  which  shall  leave  no  excuse  for  self- 
sophistication.  It  is  truly  gratifying  to  learn  your  opinion,  that 
this  should  he  done  within  the  Prayer-hook,  as  well  as  in  the 
pulpit.  To  restore  internal  consistency  is  necessary  to  the 
Church  regarded  merely  as  a  Christian  sect  which  has  fallen 
into  divisions.  Much  greater  alterations,  a  much  wider  dog- 
matic latitude,  would  be  required,  in  order  to  secure  again  to 
the  Church  its  grand  function  of  truly  uttering  the  great  heart 
of  the  nation. 

Would  that  the  holy  Spirit  of  God  might  put  it  into  the  soul 
of  some  noble  band  of  men,  as  earnest,  as  powerful,  as  English- 
hearted  as  yourself,  to  attempt  a  reform  large  enough  to  re- 
store spiritual  unity  to  our  disintegrated  people  and  power  to 
our  enfeebled  Christianity. 

Forgive  this  prayer,  if  it  be  too  bold.  It  is  at  least  ardent 
and  disinterested. 

Ever  yours  faithfully. 

The  writer  of  the  article  in  "  Westminster  Review  " 

on  the  "  Battle  of  the  Churches." 

We  come  now  to  a  very  painful  episode.  Early  in  1851 
a  volume  was  published  with  the  title,  "  Letters  on  the  Laws 
of  Man's  Nature  and  Development,  By  Henry  George 
Atkinson,  F.G.S.  and  Harriet  Martineau."  The  main  thesis 
of  the  volume,  if  it  can  be  said  to  have  a  main  thesis,  is  that 
mental  science  should  be  studied  through  phrenology,  and 
that  phrenology  should  be  studied  chiefly  through  mes- 
merism. Miss  Martineau  plays,  generally  speaking,  the 
part  of  submissive  disciple,  proposing  questions,  and  ex- 
pressing her  rapture  at  the  answers.  The  pupil,  however, 
outstrips  the  master  in  her  denials.  She  gently  reproves 
him  for  using  the  word  God :  "  Pray  tell  me,  too,  whether, 
in  this  last  letter,  you  do  not,  in  speaking  of  God,  use  merely 
another  name  for  law?  We  know  nothing  beyond  law,  do 
we?"^  Mr.  Atkinson  feebly  apologises:  "We  assume 
a  something  and  a  principle,  because  the  form  of  mind 
requires  it,  as  a  thing  essential,  though  unknown ;  and  it 
is  this  which  I  wrongly  enough  perhaps  termed  God."  ^ 

1  P.  164.  2  P.  170. 

220 


X85I]      THE    ATKINSON   "LETTERS" 

The  book,  notwithstanding  its  scorn  of  "  responsibility,"  * 
and  its  treatment  of  the  Christian  reHgion  as  "  an  old  wife's 
fable,"  2  has  a  high  moral  tone  breathing  through  it,  and 
earnestly  maintains  the  right  of  free  thought  and  honest 
expression.  After  the  lapse  of  half  a  century  Mr.  Atkinson 
is  unknown  to  the  world  of  thought,  and,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  sanction  of  Miss  Martineau's  distinguished  name, 
it  is  hard  to  believe  that,  in  spite  of  some  excellent  reflec- 
tions, his  dreary  and  sometimes  incoherent  declamation, 
pretentious  dogmatism,  abuse  of  other  people's  belief,  and 
questionable  science,  would  have  attracted  any  attention. 
How  Miss  Martineau  came  to  rate  him  so  highly  does  not 
concern  our  present  narrative.  By  the  beginning  of  March 
Mr.  Martineau  was  forming  his  estimate  of  this  work,  which 
must  have  been  to  him  profoundly  painful ;  for  it  showed 
that  his  sister  had  passed  into  another  world  of  thought,  and 
regarded  with  contempt  those  great  spiritual  beliefs  which 
in  earlier  times  had  been  the  strongest  bond  of  affection  and 
sympathy  between  them.  In  the  next  number  of  the  "  Pro- 
spective Review  "  appeared,  under  the  title  of  "  Mesmeric 
Atheism,"  what  must  be  characterised  as  a  scathing  notice 
of  the  Letters,  and  it  may  be  questioned  whether  it  would 
not  have  been  better  to  allow  them  to  die  of  their  own 
insignificance.  No  impartial  reader  can  wonder  that  Miss 
Harriet  Martineau  was  pained  by  this  review,  however  sad 
it  is  that  it  should  have  permanently  alienated  her  from  her 
brother.  She  might  at  least  have  remembered  in  palliation 
of  its  severity  that  the  book  spoke  of  his  profoundest  con- 
victions with  the  most  lofty  contempt.  This  estrangement 
on  the  part  of  his  sister,  and  the  later  misrepresentations 
circulated  by  her  injudicious  friends,  deeply  wounded  him, 
and  he  thought  it  right  to  place  on  record,  in  his  Biograph- 
ical Memoranda,  his  recollection  of  the  circumstances.     In 

1  P.  131.  "  P-  239- 

221 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

a  letter  to  the  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed,  Aug.  5,  1877,  he 
says:  "As  these  passages  of  my  life  are  really  important 
as  features  or  crises  in  it,  it  would  be  in  me  an  artificial 
suppression  if,  —  just  because  others  have  made  them  the 
occasion  of  unfavourable  remark,  —  I  avoided  all  reference 
to  them ;  this  would  in  fact  be  tantamount  to  an  admission 
that  the  representations  already  made  were  correct.  And  if 
I  notice  these  incidents,  it  is  now  no  longer  possible  to  treat 
them  without  any  reference  to  what  has  been  said  about 
them."  In  justice,  then,  to  Dr.  Martineau,  the  account 
referred  to  in  these  words  is  here  printed  in  full :  — 

"  Before  I  take  leave  of  the  '  Prospective,'  I  ought  perhaps 
to  advert  to  one  article  in  it  which,  from  its  sad  consequences, 
forms  an  epoch  in  my  life.  I  refer  to  the  review,  in  May,  185 1, 
of  my  sister  Harriet's  and  Mr.  Atkinson's  '  Letters  on  INIan's 
Nature  and  Development.'  In  the  close  affection  which  had 
united  us  as  sister  and  brother  for  so  many  years,  sympathy  in 
religious  sentiment  had  always  borne  a  large  part.  It  began 
with  my  turn  to  the  ministry  and  gained  strength  through  my 
College  period ;  the  studies,  thoughts,  and  aspirations  of  which 
supplied  the  chief  materials  of  our  intercourse  in  the  corre- 
spondence of  the  session  and  the  outpourings  of  the  vacation. 
Her  first  publications  were  devotional  and  theological,  and 
the  tales  which  succeeded  them  were  tinged  throughout  with  the 
same  convictions  and  softened  by  the  same  light.  Prior  to  the 
birth  of  this  element  in  us  both,  we  had  not,  as  girl  and  boy, 
drawn  together  in  any  special  companionship ;  for  we  naturally 
cared  for  different  things,  and  were  educated  on  different  lines. 
How  completely  she  herself  recognised  this  sacred  ground  of 
the  relation  between  us  is  apparent  through  all  her  correspond- 
ence. Her  enthusiasm  and  generosity  made  her  constantly  urge 
me  to  literary  work  in  partnership  or  parallelism  with  her ;  so 
that  we  should  divide  between  us  the  proposals  which  editors 
poured  in  upon  her,  and  of  which,  she  thought,  some  might  be 
handed  over  to  me.  When  pressed  and  strongly  tempted  to 
help  Lord  Brougham  in  his  reconstruction  of  '  Natural  The- 
ology,' but  preoccupied  with  her  '  Poor  Law  Tales,'  she  said 
to  me,  '  Let  me  but  have  something  of  yours  to  lay  my  finger 
upon  against  I  see  the  Chancellor,  and  we  will  be  side  by  side, 
as  we  have  ever  been.    You  shall  battle  with  Atheism  (as  Lord 

Z22 


I85X]       THE    ATKINSON   "LETTERS" 

Brougham  wants  me  to  do),  while  /  fight  the  Poor  Laws.  O 
how  glorious ! ' 

"  That  the  fulfilment  of  this  prophecy  should  place  me,  not 
side  by  side  with  her,  but  face  to  face  with  a  book  that  bears 
her  name,  could  not  fail  to  sadden  at  least,  if  not  to  shake,  a 
friendship  of  such  foundation.  Does  it  mend  the  case  to  say 
that  the  book  is  not  atheistic,  inasmuch  as  it  does  not  deny  a 
'  First  Cause  '  ?  It  maintains,  at  all  events,  precisely  the  posi- 
tions with  which,  so  designated,  I  was  invited  to  '  battle.'  And 
as  to  the  verbal  question,  '  Atheism  '  has  always  been  under- 
stood to  mean,  not  the  denial  of  a  '  First  Cause '  dTrXw?,  but  the 
denial  that  the  '  First  Cause  '  is  God,  i.  e.,  an  Intending  and 
Governing  Mind;  nor  can  we  depart  from  this  usage  without 
the  absurd  result  of  treating  Biichner  and  those  who  find  their 
'  First  Cause  '  in  '  Matter  and  Force  '  as  Thcists.  How,  then, 
did  this  book  really  affect  me  ?  Did  it  alienate  or  embitter  me  ? 
Did  it  make  further  intercourse,  and  quiet  discussion  of  the 
very  questions  at  issue,  impossible?  Did  it  blind  me  to  my 
sister's  eminent  gifts  and  nobleness  in  life  and  character,  or 
alter  in  the  least  the  tone  in  v/hich  I  habitually  spoke  of  her? 
I  distinctly  deny  it.  It  simply  mingled  an  element  of  sorrow 
with  my  affection,  —  of  inevitable  regret  that  from  its  re- 
sources there  had  fallen  away  a  large  class  of  common  admir- 
ations and  the  whole  force  of  a  concurrent  reverence.  For  this 
loss  there  would  have  been  some  alleviation,  had  the  process 
I  which  led  to  it  commanded  much  intellectual  respect.  But,  to 
my  amazement,  her  convictions  had  yielded  to  the  most  in- 
competent arguments  without  any  apparent  resistance  to  the 
pretentious  dogmatism  with  which  they  were  advanced ;  and, 
in  proportion  to  my  estimate  of  her  characteristic  vigour  of 
understanding,  was  this  exceptional  submission  to  an  inferior 
mortifying  to  me.  It  seemed  a  kind  of  fascination,  —  part  of 
the  contemporaneous  disturbance  of  judgment  which,  as  I 
thought,  was  conspicuous  in  her  reports  of  mesmeric  phe- 
nomena, whether  experienced  or  observed. 

"  In  this  state  of  feeling  I  attended  the  editorial  meeting  at 
Mr.  Tayler's  house,  to  lay  out  the  contents  of  the  next  number 
of  the  '  Prospective.'  Our  division  of  labour  charged  me  with 
the  notice  of  the  literature  of  philosophy,  and  my  colleagues 
urged  upon  me  the  necessity  of  reviewing  the  '  Letters.'  I  felt 
and  pleaded  the  difficult  relation  in  which  the  task  would  place 
me ;  but  yielded  to  two  reconciling  considerations,  —  that  any 
other  critic  would  more  severely  press  upon  my  sister's  share 
in  the  joint  production;    and  that  the  volume  would  be  cor- 

223 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

rcctly  treated  as  the  work  of  Mr.  Atkinson,  my  sister  being 
avowedly  content  with  drawing^  him  out,  and  securing-  his  ex- 
positions for  the  world.  Upon  these  lines,  accordingly,  the 
review  is  worked  out.  In  one  sentence  only  is  my  sister  men- 
tioned, —  a  sentence  of  grief  for  what  she  had  surrendered  to 
a  misleading  guide ;  while  all  that  precedes  gives  the  measure 
of  Mr.  Atkinson  from  his  previous  writings,  and  all  that  fol- 
lows is  a  reasoned  analysis  of  his  arguments  in  the  volume 
itself.  The  effect  of  the  paper  thus  constructed  is  now  well 
known.  For  three  years  I  was  unaware  of  the  breach  it  had 
occasioned ;  and  learned  it  only  when,  being  with  my  family 
within  a  few  miles  of  Ambleside,  and  proposing,  through  a 
letter  of  my  wife's,  a  few  hours'  visit  at  the  Knoll,  I  found  that 
my  sister's  house  and  heart  were  closed  against  me.  The  re- 
view was  charged  with  all  the  offences  of  which  Mrs.  Chapman 
has  since  accused  it,  —  but  only  in  general  terms  of  vitupera- 
tion. To  an  entreaty  that  the  alleged  instances  of  false  quota- 
tion and  misleading  statement  should  be  pointed  out,  that  I 
might  at  least  have  the  chance  of  making  amends  for  my  own 
wrong,  a  curt  refusal  was  returned.  A  similar  demand,  as  I 
have  recently  learned,  had  already  been  addressed  to  her,  in 
the  form  of  a  collective  remonstrance,  by  our  three  surviving 
sisters  and  brother,  and  had  met  with  a  similar  reception. 
Neither  directly,  therefore,  nor  indirectly,  have  I  ever  been 
able  to  discover  the  passages  for  which  I  ought  either  to  apol- 
ogise or  make  adequate  defence.  All  the  citations  were  ac- 
companied by  proper  references,  which  render  the  detection 
of  '  garbling '  easy  and  certain.  All  the  statements  of  opinion 
are  either  in  the  author's  words,  or  compends  of  ampler  expo- 
sitions indicated  by  page  and  line ;  so  that  they  are  readily  put 
to  the  test.  All  the  arguments  are  in  a  form  distinct  and  com- 
pressed, so  as  to  leave  no  scope  for  evasion,  but  to  lie  open  to 
exposure  and  attack.  I  can  only  say  that  of  the  critical  of- 
fences imputed  to  me  I  am  unconscious,  and  the  motives 
assumed  for  them  I  know  to  be  fictitious. 

"  After  all,  I  believe  that  the  unpardonable  sin  of  that  article 
lay  simply  in  this,  —  that  from  certain  forgotten  numbers  of 
the  *  Zoist '  I  disinterred  some  lucubrations  of  Mr.  Atkinson's, 
the  mere  citation  of  which  rendered  his  authority  ridiculous. 
They  probably  took  my  sister  by  surprise,  and,  distressing  her 
pure  literary  taste,  embarrassed  for  a  moment  her  admiring 
intercourse  with  her  correspondent ;  but,  when  explained  away 
by  the  ingenuities  of  friendship,  acted  with  the  power  of  a  mis- 
fortune in  common,  and  turned  a  united  resentment  upon  the 

224 


X85I]       THE    ATKINSON    "LETTERS" 

critic  who  occasioned  it.  That  I  did  not  foresee  this  was  a  real 
fault  in  my  reckoning.  Having  said  the  least  possible  about 
my  sister's  share  in  the  book,  I  felt  no  obligation  of  reserve 
with  regard  to  the  remaining  author,  whose  name  I  never 
heard  before,  and  whose  qualifications  to  announce  the  laws 
of  '  man's  nature  and  development '  I  had  to  estimate  merely 
from  the  evidence  of  his  own  writings.  Losing  sight  altogether 
of  his  influence  on  my  sister,  I  treated  this  question  purely  on 
its  merits,  and  freely  said  of  him  what  I  should  have  said  of 
any  anonymous  and  unrelated  author.  However  natural  this 
was  for  me,  it  was  no  less  natural  for  my  sister  to  resent  being 
spared  criticism  herself  at  the  expense  of  her  friend ;  and  this 
generous  impulse,  I  believe,  it  was  which,  making  her  cast  in 
her  lot  with  his,  defeated  my  purpose  in  criticising  him  alone, 
and  not  only  rendered  his  quarrel  hers,  but  intensified  it  with 
unrestrained  exaggeration. 

"  Looking  back  at  this  calm  distance  at  the  whole  transaction, 
I  think  it  open  to  reasonable  doubt  whether  it  was  well  for  me 
to  become  the  critic  of  the  '  Letters  '  at  all,  even  in  the  imper- 
sonal form  of  an  anonymous  reviewer.  And  I  might  have 
anticipated  the  fruitlessness  of  my  attempt  to  withdraw  the 
master  from  the  disciple  and  try  conclusions  with  him  alone. 
But  in  the  substance  of  the  critique  I  see  nothing  to  correct  or 
retract.  And  in  its  tone  I  do  not  notice  any  uncalled-for 
severity.  If  compared  with  Edward  Forbes's  review  of  the 
same  book  (fairly  representing  the  purely  scientific  estimate 
of  its  character),  it  indubitably  stands  much  further  within  the 
limits  of  patient  and  considerate  controversy. 

"  The  estrangement  produced  by  this  cause  and  its  antece- 
dents was  all  on  one  side.  My  aflFection  for  my  sister  Harriet 
survived  all  reproaches  and  mistakes,  and,  if  she  had  per- 
mitted, would  at  any  moment  have  taken  me  to  her  side  for 
unconditional  return  to  the  old  relation.  If  time  had  lessened 
our  sympathies  of  thought,  it  had  enlarged  those  of  character, 
and  had  developed  in  her  a  cheerful  fortitude,  an  active  be- 
nevolence, an  unflinching  fidelity  to  conviction,  on  which  I 
looked  with  joyful  honour,  and  in  view  of  which  all  vexing 
memories  were  ready  to  die  away." 

It  must  not  be  concealed  that  the  accuracy  of  the  fore- 
going account  of  the  origin  of  the  review  has  been  called 
in  question,  and  that  the  recollection  of  one  or  more  of  the 
IS  225 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

editors  of  the  "  Prospective  "  differed  from  Dr.  Martineau's. 
In  one  particular  his  memory  was  certainly  not  exact.  He 
says  that  in  one  sentence  only  is  his  sister  mentioned,  while 
all  that  precedes  gives  the  measure  of  Mr.  Atkinson.  In 
fact  Miss  Martineau  is  mentioned,  though  not  selected  for 
animadversion,  in  three  other  passages,  and,  "  the  authors  " 
are  united  in  a  sarcastic  description  of  their  pretensions. 
The  statement,  also,  that  three  years  elapsed  before  he  was 
aware  of  the  breach  requires  a  little  explanation.  He  was 
aware  at  an  earlier  time  that  his  sister  was  offended,  but 
not  that  she  was  completely  alienated  from  him.  Early  in 
1853  Mrs.  Martineau  wrote  to  her  sister-in-law,  reporting 
the  engagement  of  Mr.  Leyson  Lewis  to  her  daughter 
Isabella.  The  result  of  this  correspondence  was  subse- 
quently communicated  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Lewis :  "  We 
grieve  to  infer,  from  her  [Miss  Martineau's]  very  cold 
reply,  to  Isabella,  to  my  letter  written  in  perfect  good  faith 
to  herself  (to  which  and  to  ourselves  she  made  not  the 
slightest  allusion)  that  she  feels  herself  not  on  terms  v/ith 
us.  And,  on  consulting  Ellen  on  the  subject,  we  learn  that 
she  does  not  forgive  her  brother's  review  of  Mr.  Atkinson's 
horrible  book  (which  it  was  such  a  painful  duty  in  him  to 
write,  and  in  which  he  so  spared  her) ,  and  instead  of  openly 
discussing  the  subject  with  himself  (as  one  literary  person 
would  with  another,  e.  g.,  Mr.  Newman  with  Mr.  M., 
without  any  shade  coming  thereby  across  their  friendship) 
she  uses  hard  names,  and  talks  against  him,  and  has  never 
exchanged  a  word  with  us  since."  This  event  excited  mis- 
givings; but  it  was  hoped  that  the  annoyance  was  tempo- 
rary, and  it  was  not  till  the  summer  of  1854  that  Miss 
Martineau  herself  declared  a  reconciliation  to  be  quite  out 
of  the  question,  and  that  her  brother's  fears  were  turned 
into  certainty. 

If,  however,  a  searching  ingenuity  can  detect  any  lapse 
of  memory  by  comparing  existing  documents,  it  is  so  slight 

226 


1851]      THE    ATKINSON   «' LETTERS" 

as  to  be  quite  insignificant,  and  probably  his  attention  was 
not  called  to  it;  but  in  regard  to  what  took  place  at  the 
editorial  meeting  his  recollection  was  challenged,  and,  after 
full  consideration,  he  still  thought  he  had  reason  to  rely  on 
its  accuracy.  This  appears  from  the  continuation  of  his 
letter  to  Mr.  Wicksteed  cited  above :  — 

"  With  regard  to  your  recollection  of  the  meeting  at  which 
we  blocked  out  the  May  '  Prospective,'  185 1,  I  can  only  say 
that  it  is  so  completely  at  variance  with  my  own  as  to  fill  me 
with  amazement,  notwithstanding  my  frequent  experience  of 
the  wide  discrepancies  of  memory  in  witnesses  of  the  same 
transaction.  On  some  of  the  details  of  the  conversation  I  can- 
not pretend  to  have  clear  impressions.  But  the  things  on  which 
I  have  no  doubt,  and  as  to  which  I  should  unhesitatingly  de- 
clare, in  a  witness  box,  that  I  had  absolute  knowledge,  are,  that 
we  were  sitting  at  the  table,  —  Tayler  at  the  bottom,  you  and 
Thom  at  the  side  to  his  left,  I  at  the  opposite  side ;  that  Thorn 
assumed  that  I  should  undertake  the  Atkinson  volume,  as  fall- 
ing within  my  department ;  that  I,  admitting  this  as  in  con- 
formity with  rule,  yet  stated  the  personal  objection  as  a  serious 
difficulty ;  that  Tayler  at  first  felt  the  weight  of  this  difficulty, 
but,  on  the  suggestion,  chiefly  by  Thom,  but  partly  by  myself, 
—  thinking  aloud,  as  it  were,  in  the  line  of  what  he  said,  — 
came  completely  round,  and  ended  with  a  thorough  resistance 
to  my  misgiving.  So  far  as  he  is  concerned,  I  am  sure,  from 
subsequent  conversations  and  letters,  that  this  is  a  true  account 
of  his  ultimate  feeling  and  judgment.  Between  Thom  and  my- 
self I  do  not  think  the  review  was  ever  a  subject  of  conversa- 
tion afterwards.  The  only  point  on  which  my  memory  agrees 
with  yours  is  as  to  your  silence.  I  remember  it  the  more  be- 
cause it  left  upon  my  mind  a  doubt  as  to  your  opinion.  These 
matters  are  not  with  me  distant  recollections ;  for  as  soon  as 
the  review  became  the  subject  of  remark,  I  wrote  down  all  the 
particulars  of  the  story  in  a  paper  which  was  read  by  my  wife 
and  young  people,  who  had  heard  from  me  all  its  details  from 
the  first  moment;  and  that  paper  I  still  have." 

The  pap>er  here  alluded  to  was  written  on  July  27,  1854, 
at  Skelwith  Bridge,  near  Ambleside,  immediately  after  the 
correspondence  with  Miss  Martineau  mentioned  above  in 
the  Biographical  Memoranda.    It  contains  a  careful  defence, 

227 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

no  longer  needed,  of  his  perfect  good  faith  in  writing  the 
review,  and  of  the  style  of  treatment  adopted  in  it.  It  says 
little  of  the  editorial  meeting;  but  it  states  distinctly  that 
the  only  question  among  the  editors  was,  zvho  should  write 
the  article,  and  that  the  considerations  which  weighed  with 
him  were  pressed  upon  him  by  his  colleagues,  and  induced 
him  to  retain  his  usual  function,  and  undertake  a  task  which 
he  regarded  as  an  indispensable  —  most  assuredly  a  painful 
—  duty.  The  paper  is  private ;  but  it  is  only  fair  to  say 
that  it  is  a  calm  survey  of  the  case,  and  contains  no  unkind 
expression. 

In  judging  of  this  confessedly  severe  review  it  must  be 
remembered  that  Mr.  Martineau  knew  nothing  of  Mr. 
Atkinson  except  from  the  "  Letters,"  and  some  writings  in 
the  "  Zoist " ;  and  his  criticisms  are  directed  simply  to  his 
opinions  and  his  manner  of  expressing  them.  It  is,  how- 
ever, only  just  to  state  that  Mr.  Atkinson,  and  also  Miss 
Martineau,  disclaimed  the  designation  of  Atheist,  so  that 
the  very  title  of  the  review,  though  quite  susceptible  of  Mr. 
Martineau's  defence,  seemed  to  them  unfair.  Miss  Mar- 
tineau was  probably  what  would  now  be  described  as  agnos- 
tic. Mr.  Atkinson  seems  to  have  had  a  sort  of  mystical 
element  in  him ;  and,  forgetting  the  reproof  which  he  had 
received  for  using  the  word  God,  he  wrote  as  follows  to 
Miss  Martineau  on  Good  Friday  in  this  very  year :  "  We 
want  rousing  from  a  lethargy,  that  we  may  listen  to  the 
God  of  heaven  and  of  earth  who  speaks  to  us  in  our  hearts. 
The  word  of  God  is  in  every  man,  if  he  will  listen.  God  is 
with  us  in  all  Nature,  if  we  will  but  read  the  written  law; 
written  not  on  tables  of  stone,  but  on  the  wide  expanse  of 
nature.  Yes,  the  savage  is  more  right.  God  is  in  the  clouds, 
and  we  hear  him  in  the  wind.  Yes;  and  in  the  curse  of 
ignorance,  and  the  voice  of  reprobation,  there  too  is  God,  — 
warning  us  of  ignorance,  —  of  unbelief  of  temper,  —  put- 
ting another  law  in  our  way,  that  we  may  read  and  interpret 

228 


I85X]     "CREED    OF    CHRISTENDOM" 

the  book  of  fate.  O !  that  some  great  teacher  would  arise, 
and  make  himself  heard  from  the  mountain  top!  The  man 
whom  they  crucified  on  this  day  gave  a  sermon  on  a  mount. 
It  is  in  every  house,  in  every  head ;  it  is  known,  passage 
after  passage ;  but  in  how  few  has  it  touched  the  heart,  and 
opened  the  understanding !  "  ^  This  letter  is  so  curiously  in- 
consistent with  passages  in  the  "Letters"  as  to  make  it  quite 
intelligible  that  Mr.  Atkinson  and  his  admirer  should  regard 
as  unjust  a  description  of  his  opinions  drawn  from  the  "Let- 
ters "  alone,  his  thought  being  in  fact  made  up  of  most 
discordant  elements.  No  one  can  be  surprised  that  Miss 
]\Iartineau  was  wounded  by  the  review,  in  which  for  the  mo- 
ment Mr.  Martineau,  in  the  ardour  of  his  criticism,  may  have 
failed  to  give  sufficient  attention  to  the  tender  human  feel- 
ings which  often  lie  behind  the  most  perverse  opinions.  It 
is,  however,  a  matter  of  regret  that  she  did  not  act  in  the 
spirit  of  her  own  words,  used  in  relation  to  a  coarse  review 
of  one  of  her  early  tales :  "  The  testing  of  one's  power  of 
endurance  is  pleasurable;  and  the  testing  of  one's  power 
of  forgiveness  is  yet  sweeter."  ^  But  we  must  remember 
that  she  expressed  to  Mrs.  Chapman  her  desire,  "  when 
you  speak  of  my  brother  James,  be  as  gentle  as  you  can."  ^ 
This  injunction  of  her  friend,  Mrs.  Chapman  fulfilled  by 
an  imputation  of  the  basest  motives,  which  only  malignity 
or  stupidity  could  suggest,  and  which  are  unfit  for  further 
notice.'*  This  narrative  may  close  with  the  opinion  of 
Mr.  F.  W.  Newman,  written  at  the  time :  "  You  have 
performed  a  painful  but  wholesome  duty  in  your  review  of 
Atkinson  and  Martineau." 

Passing  from  these  controversial  topics,  we  must  briefly 
notice  Mr.  Martineau' s  review  of  "  The  Creed  of  Chris- 
tendom,"   by    William    Rathbone   Greg,    published    in    the 


1  H.  M.  Aut,  II.  p.  369.  «  lb.,  I.  p.  206. 

»  lb..  III.  p.  322.  *  lb..  III.  p.  319. 

229 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

"Westminster  Review"  in  July,  1851.^  In  the  course  of 
this  review  he  defends  the  truth  of  Paul's  "  assertion  of  his 
intercourse  with  the  risen  Christ,"  and  gives  a  fine  account 
of  the  doctrine  of  development,  when  freed  from  subservi- 
ence "  to  monstrous  sacerdotal  claims."  The  prophets  pre- 
pared a  future  veiled  from  their  own  eyes,  and  "Christianity 
becomes  thus,  not  the  Creed  of  its  Founders,  but  the  Re- 
ligion of  Christendom,  ,  .  .  the  providential  introduction 
among  the  affairs  of  this  world  of  a  divine  influence,  which 
shall  gradually  reach  to  untried  depths  in  the  hearts  of  men, 
and  become  the  organising  centre  of  a  new  moral  and  spirit- 
ual life."  In  the  plan  of  the  Divine  government  there  was 
not  only  more  than  had  been  surmised,  but  something  at 
variance  with  all  expectation.  "  Never  absent  from  the 
mind  of  God,  and  never  pausing  in  its  course  of  execution, 
it  had  yet  evaded  the  notice  of  all  observers;  and  winding 
its  way  through  the  throng  of  nations  and  the  labyrinth  of 
centuries,  the  great  Thought  had  passed  in  disguise,  using 
all  men  and  known  of  none." 

On  the  15th  of  June,  1851,  Dr.  Robert  Vaughan,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Lancashire  Independent  College,  and  editor  of 
the  "  British  Quarterly  Review,"  was  present  in  Hope  Street 
Church,  and  heard  a  sermon  on  the  text,  "  But  we  have  this 
treasure  in  earthen  vessels,  that  the  excellency  of  the  power 
may  be  of  God,  and  not  of  us."  In  the  August  number  of 
the  "  Review  "  appeared  a  description  of  this  sermon,  which 
Mr.  Martineau  felt  to  be  a  misrepresentation  of  its  scope 
and  spirit;  and  accordingly  he  was  induced  to  print  the 
sermon  exactly  as  it  was  delivered,  under  the  title,  "  The 
God  of  Revelation  his  own  Interpreter."  Dr.  Vaughan  no 
doubt  reported  faithfully  the  impression  which  the  sermon 
made  upon  him ;  and  it  is  easy  to  understand  that  one  who 
was  sincerely  attached  to  the  old  Evangelicalism  would  be 


*  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity." 

230 


I85I]     *'GOD  HIS  OWN  INTERPRETER" 

startled  and  shocked  by  the  bold  handling  of  what  at  that 
time  was  a  novel  thesis,  especially  as  the  sermon,  even  from 
the  preacher's  point  of  view,  is  open  to  the  charge  of  some 
exaggeration.  It  is  founded  on  the  very  fruitful  thought, 
that  the  divine  significance  of  a  great  religious  movement 
must  be  carefully  distinguished  from  the  personal  views 
and  purposes  of  the  agents  who  force  it  on  the  attention  of 
the  world,  and  that  therefore  it  is  fully  disclosed  only  when 
the  merely  human  and  temporary  forms  in  which  it  clothed 
itself  drop  away  in  the  course  of  its  history.  It  sets  forth 
in  these  words  the  changes  which  mark  the  unfolding  of 
the  religion  into  its  divine  ideal :  **  We  have  emerged  from 
the  Religion  of  Lazv,  whose  only  sentiment  is  that  of  obedi- 
ence to  Sovereignty;  we  have  passed  from  the  Religion  of 
Salvation,  whose  life  consists  in  gratitude  to  a  Deliverer; 
and  we  are  capable  only  of  a  religion  of  Reverence,  which 
bows  before  the  authority  of  Goodness."  In  earlier  writ- 
ings Mr.  Martineau  had  freely  spoken  of  Jesus  as  "  the 
Messiah  " ;  but  here  he  plainly  announces  a  view  to  which 
in  later  life  he  attached  the  greatest  importance:  "To  discuss 
whether  Jesus  was  the  Messiah  is  even  more  unmeaning 
than  the  question  whether  John  the  Baptist  were  Elijah ; 
for  Elijah  was  at  least  a  person,  but  Messiah  was  only  a 
conception.  .  .  .  Seeking  Christianity  in  the  creed  of  the 
first  age,  we  have  necessarily  fallen  in  with  this  notion,  that 
*  Jesus  is  the  Messiah ' ;  and  have  thus  set  up  the  chief 
Judaic  error  as  the  chief  Christian  verity." 

This  sermon  was  unfavourably  noticed  in  "  The  Chris- 
tian Reformer,"  or  "  Unitarian  Magazine  and  Review," 
which  had  previously  reproduced  Dr.  Vaughan's  account 
of  it,  and  given  a  most  contemptuous  description  of  Mr. 
Martineau's  review  of  "  The  Creed  of  Christendom."  This 
treatment  roused  the  indignation  of  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton, 
who,  in  a  letter  of  September  19,  says:  "  It  does  make  me 
feel  more  and  more  that  while  our  names  are  among  the 

231 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

Unitarians,  there  never  was  before  a  case  in  which  a  true 
name  conveyed  so  much  falsity  of  impression  in  classing 
wholly  different  faiths  together,  and  it  makes  me  wish 
greatly  that  we  were  no  longer  burdened  with  the  credit 
of  belonging  to  the  old  Unitarian  views  and  faith.  Can 
this  never  be?  "  At  the  same  time  he  thinks  that  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  statement  of  his  views  is  exaggerated,  and  lays  his 
meaning  open  to  misconstruction.  The  following  is  Mr. 
]\Iartineau's  reply.  The  date  of  the  copy  is  probably  wrong, 
as  Mr.  Hutton's  autograph  is  dated  September  19.  The 
conclusion  is  retained  as  illustrating  the  writer's  more 
playful  style. 

TO   R.  H.  IIUTTON. 

Liverpool,  Sept.  i8,  1851. 

My  dear  Richard, —  .  .  .  This  "British  Quarterly"  affair 
.  .  .  has  had  on  me  the  effect,  in  which  I  perceive  you  sympa- 
thise, of  fixing  my  thoughts  on  the  moral  and  religious  ques- 
tions which  are  agitating  our  people.  I  have  been  asking  myself 
the  question  which  you  propose,  "Is  the  time  come  for  a  settle- 
ment of  accounts  with  our  critics  and  objectors?"  The  tempta- 
tions are  perpetual,  not  only  from  open  strictures  in  reviews,  but 
from  a  constant  outpouring  of  unkindly  allusion  and  weak  mis- 
apprehension on  such  occasions  as  the  recent  opening  at  Birken- 
head. But  let  patience  have  its  perfect  work.  I  determined 
to  write  privately  to  Mr.  Aspland,  not  at  all  in  relation  to  any 
criticisms  in  the  "  Reformer,"  but  to  complain  of  his  lending 
his  pages  to  give  circulation  to  Dr.  Vaughan's  caricature  of 
the  Sermon,  without  ever  writing  to  ask  me  the  question 
whether  I  had  preached  such  a  thing.  He  has  taken  it  well 
and  replies  rather  apologetically.  The  correspondence  is  prob- 
ably not  closed ;  and  I  am  in  hopes  of  bringing  about  a  better 
feeling  in  a  quiet  way.  It  is  evident  to  me  that  there  is,  in  the 
party  which  he  represents,  an  intellectual  fear,  which  will  pre- 
vent in  case  of  a  controversy  any  ingenuous  and  tranquil  reli- 
ance on  the  inherent  strength  of  their  own  cause,  or  any 
thorough  treatment  of  the  subjects  of  difference.  Conscious 
of  their  weakness  here,  they  will  be  driven  to  appeal  (as  indeed 
they  now  do)  to  mere  catchword  prejudices  and  party  appre- 
hensions and  passions ;  a  storm  will  be  raised,  and  will  affect 
more  or  less  all  our  congregations,  poisoning  with  unworthy 

232 


I85X]     "GOD  HIS  OWN  INTERPRETER" 

fecling-s  all  the  sweetness  of  the  religious  air.  Indeed,  which 
of  us  could  trust  himself  to  remain  unaffected  by  the  taint? 
Truth  therefore  would  not  gain,  and  piety  and  affection  would 
probably  suffer.  I  am  therefore  for  peace  as  long  as  possible. 
And  with  this  feeling  it  appears  to  me  also  best  that,  if  any 
defence  is  really  called  for,  it  should  in  the  first  instance  be 
made,  not  by  a  generous  bystander,  who  would  almost  unavoid- 
ably be  led  into  remarks  on  the  personal  elements  and  acci- 
dental temper  of  the  discussion,  but  by  the  writer  whose  views 
are  attacked  and  who  would  naturally  limit  himself  to  an 
attempt  at  better  exposition  of  the  opinions  themselves.  I  do 
not  despair  of  our  obtaining  in  this  way  a  fair  hearing  after 
all.  Moreover,  I  should  like  to  see  you  in  a  fixed  ministerial 
position  before  you  become  mixed  up  with  anything  like  party 
discussions,  which  would  make  you  enemies  among  the  bigots 
and  the  indifferent  in  every  congregation.  In  a  mere  question 
of  time  and  occasion  (for  the  same  provocations  are  sure  to  be 
continued)  this  ought  to  have  some  influence  with  you.  My 
own  intention  is  to  wait  and  see  how  the  '*  Reformer  "  and 
"  Inquirer "  deal  with  this  sermon ;  and  also  how  far  Mr. 
Harris's  Birkenhead  Sermon,  if  published  (I  believe  it  was  in 
the  same  tone)  necessitates  a  notice.  Should  the  spirit  of  ill- 
humour  and  alarm  continue  it  will  be  a  less  evil  to  put  an  end 
to  the  truce  than  to  prolong  a  mere  uneasy  peace ;  and  I  shall 
feel  no  further  scruple  about  throwing  a  shell  into  the  opposite 
camp.  In  moments  of  despondency  I  often  think  we  should 
do  our  work  better,  if  we  could  be  free  of  the  old  Unitarians, 
and  act  in  avowed  separation.  But  my  permanent  feeling  is 
the  other  way.  I  believe  they  are  "  old  "  Unitarians  and  will 
not  last  for  ever.  You  see  how  Dr.  Vaughan  estimates  the 
prospects  of  the  newer  element.  By  the  way,  one  of  his  Divinity 
students  in  the  Independent  College  wrote  to  me  the  other  day 
to  ask  for  an  autograph.  So  I  wrote  the  youth's  name  with 
proper  phrases  of  respect,  on  the  sermon,  winch  had  just  come 
in  from  the  Printer's  and  sent  it  by  post  to  the  Headquarters. 
As  to  the  doctrine  of  the  sermon,  you  are  probably  quite  right 
in  saying  that  I  have  virtually  overstated  the  amount  of  the 
merely  human  element  in  the  New  Testament.  Of  course  I  did 
not  mean  to  banish  all  the  divine  and  revealing  thought  and  in- 
fluence into  the  Apostle's  unconscious  life.  But  still  I  do  think 
that  even  the  greatest  truth  —  such  as  Paul's  regeneration  by 
faith  —  struggled  in  their  minds  beneath  such  a  mass  of  tem- 
porary conceptions  as  never  to  succeed  in  expressing  itself  in 
a  pure  form.    It  was  felt  and  strove  towards  embodiment ;  and 

233 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

in  reading  Paul,  the  spark  catches  and  kindles  in  our  hearts, 
so  that  the  truth  is  secured.  But  when  you  collect  and  state 
Paul's  dugina  on  the  point,  it  is  so  embedded  in  Messianic 
theory  as  to  be  unpresentable  to  modern  belief.  I  could  never 
determine  the  Percentage  of  human  and  divine,  because  they 
are  inextricably  intermixed  and  only  the  human  has  quantity 
at  all.  But  no  mere  difference  of  implied  proportion  would 
have  had  the  least  effect,  I  am  persuaded,  on  the  alarmists, 
whose  habitual  modes  of  thought  are  at  variance  with  the  entire 
principle.  The  conditions  under  w^hich  the  sermon  was  written 
give  a  different  aspect  to  what  might  else  appear  exaggeration. 
I  was  fresh  from  Mr.  Greg's  book,  and  was  not  without  the 
idea  of  possibly  working  up  the  argument  into  the  "  Review." 
I  wished  to  show  that  Mr,  Greg's  method  did  not  do  the  fatal 
execution  which  he  supposed ;  but  that  if  it  were  ever  so  suc- 
cessful, and  made  as  clean  a  sweep,  as  he  could  claim  for  it,  a 
way  was  still  open  for  maintaining  that  the  divine  and  inspired 
character  of  Christianity,  as  a  supernatural  revelation,  was 
undisturbed.  The  argument,  thus  addressed  to  him,  required 
that  I  should  concede  his  success  or  waive  the  disposition  to 
dispute  it.  But  when  it  is  now  read,  as  if  addressed  to  the  or- 
dinary Christian  state  of  mind,  that  which  was  a  needful  logical 
conception  in  defence  of  Christianity,  assumes  the  aspect  of  a 
positive  surrender  of  much  of  its  defensible  ground  of  attack. 
The  only  thing  in  the  "Reformer"  that  really  grieved  me  is  the 
treatment  given  to  the  attempt  I  had  made  in  defence  of  the 
doctrines  of  Prayer  and  Forgiveness.  An  effort,  however  im- 
perfect, to  arrest  scepticism  on  such  points  and  deliver  them 
from  the  habitual  scorn  of  the  "  Westminster  Review  "  school, 
should  at  least  be  gently  dealt  with.  And  though  the  exposi- 
tion is  perhaps  chargeable  with  obscurity,  I  cannot  think  that 
any  open-minded  reader  would  find  it  impossible  to  discover 
a  pertinent  meaning  in  it.  And  what  is  the  use  of  appealing, 
in  answer  to  Mr.  Greg's  theoretical  objections,  to  the  Christian 
precepts  in  favour  of  prayer?  I  quite  agree  with  you  about 
Dr.  Vaughan's  article.  The  weakness  of  the  argument  is  so 
deplorable  as  to  be  quite  painful ;  and  I  scarcely  know  how  to 
resist  the  impression  that  the  author  is  not  without  uneasy 
suspicions  of  its  w^eakness.  Such  a  defence  is  assuredly  more 
dangerous  to  Christianity  than  Mr.  Greg's  attack.  I  am  sur- 
prised also  at  the  great  coarseness  of  the  style.  I  had  quite  a 
different  impression  of  Vaughan's  literary  qualities.  Keep 
a  good  heart,  my  dear  Richard,  about  the  ministry,  whatever 
Sheffield  may  say.    Those  cutters  and  knife-grinders  are  a  case- 

234 


I85X]      "GOD  HIS  OWN  INTERPRETER" 

hardened  people  who  must  be  expected  to  steel  their  hearts 
against  the  most  melting  fervour  of  appeal.  If  an  enemy  had 
chosen  for  you  the  most  hopeless  beginnings  he  would  have 
sent  you  to  Bath,  Birmingham,  and  Sheffield.  I  feel  no  doubt 
of  your  ultimate  position,  nor  do  I  think  the  trial  of  your  pa- 
tience will  be  much  prolonged.  How  we  should  delight  to  see 
you !  I  had  hoped  to  ask  you  to  spend  a  few  days  with  Tren- 
delenburg. But  he  writes  to  say  he  is  going  home  without 
coming  North. 

With  our  united  kindest  regards  to  your  wife  and  Mrs. 
Roscoe,  ever  dear  Richard 

Affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

His  letters  to  the  Rev.  R.  Brook  Aspland,  the  Editor  of 
"  The  Christian  Reformer,"  are  worthy  of  attention,  as  illus- 
trating the  great  gentleness  and  courtesy  which  he  main- 
tained when  he  found  it  necessary  to  write  a  remonstrance. 

Park  Nook,  Prince's  Park,  Liverpool,  Sept.  ii,  1851. 

Dear  Sir,  —  My  attention  has  been  called  to  a  notice,  in  the 
last  number  of  "The  Christian  Reformer,"  of  Dr.  Vaughan's  ar- 
ticle on  the  "Creed  of  Christendom,"  and  the  report,  cited  from 
that  article,  of  a  certain  sermon  preached  from  a  Unitarian 
pulpit ;  and  I  find  that  you  were  aware,  before  going  to  press, 
who  was  the  preacher  alluded  to  by  Dr.  Vaughan.  Now  no- 
thing can  be  further  from  my  desire  than  to  violate  in  any  way 
the  respect  due  to  editorial  freedom,  especially  where  it  is 
exercised  so  honourably  and  usefully  as  it  is  in  the  case  of  the 
"  Reformer."  No  criticism  of  sentiments  and  opinions,  no 
judgment  on  matters  of  taste,  would  ever  awaken  in  me  the 
slightest  aggrieved  or  mortified  feeling,  or  tempt  me  to  a  word 
of  remonstrance.  Such  criticism,  with  all  its  liability  to  occa- 
sional mistake  and  ill  humour,  is  a  wholesome  instrument  of 
discipline,  with  whose  due  application  no  dissentient  feeling 
would  induce  me  to  interfere.  But  it  is  otherwise  with  the 
report  of  facts  and  the  circulation  of  sketches  directly  personal ; 
and  I  cannot  but  complain  that  you  have  lent  the  pages  of  the 
"  Reformer  "  to  give  additional  currency  to  a  statement  which 
you  avowedly  regard  as  discreditable  to  me,  and  injurious  to 
our  religious  body,  without  ascertaining  its  correctness  or  giv- 
ing me  an  opportunity  of  explanation.  It  cannot  be  for  the 
interests  of  the  denomination  which  you  represent  that  the 

235 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

caricatures  drawn  of  us  by  theological  opponents  should  be 
accepted,  not  only  without  an  expression  of  distrust  or  a  word 
of  regret,  but  with  manifest  eagerness  and  sympathy.  And  it 
seems  to  me  not  friendly,  or  even  just,  to  believe  and  to  reprint 
evil  of  one  another,  without  even  an  attempt  to  learn  at  first 
hand  whether  it  be  true  or  not.  No  doubt  you  repudiate  the 
sentiments,  and  pronounce  against  the  wisdom  of  a  brother 
minister  only  hypothctically,  in  case  the  sentiments  and  the 
act  should  be  his,  as  rumour  avers.  But  this  seems  to  me  like 
spreading  a  scandalous  "  on  dit  "  of  my  neighbour's  character 
and  then  contenting  oneself  with  the  heartless  comment,  that 
if  the  thing  be  true  I  quite  disapprove  of  it.  Why  did  you  not 
frankly  write  to  me  before  disdaining  me,  and  say,  "  Did  you 
really  preach  this  thing  ?  " 

I  write  my  word  of  expostulation  to  you  in  your  private 
capacity,  because  it  is  not  desirable  to  publish  every  little  shade 
of  uneasiness  that  passes  over  us  as  a  religious  denomination. 
But  openly  as  I  speak  I  have  no  unkindly  feeling;  indeed  in 
the  very  act  of  speaking  openly  I  wipe  off  all  notion  of  offence ; 
and  having  explained  to  you,  shall  repeat  the  complaint  to  no 
one  else.  The  thousand  difficulties  of  an  editor,  and  all  the 
chances  of  an  occasional  error  which  shall  do  imperfect  justice 
to  his  better  and  permanent  feeling,  are  present  to  my  mind. 
I  shall  think,  therefore,  no  more  of  this.  I  only  wish  to  pre- 
vent, so  far  as  in  me  lies,  the  growth  of  an  alienation  founded 
on  suspicion  and  reserve. 

I  am,  dear  Sir,  as  ever. 

Yours  faithfully, 

James  Martineau. 

P.S.  —  The  obnoxious  sermon  will  be  published  to-morrow, 
and  will  speak  for  itself.  I  can  hardly  hope  for  your  concur- 
rence in  its  doctrine.  But  I  shall  be  surprised  if  you  think  the 
impression  given  of  it  by  Dr.  Vaughan  fair  or  even  veracious. 

Mr.  Aspland,  in  his  reply,  expresses  his  "  admiration  of 
the  gentleness  and  good-temper  "  displayed  "  under  strong 
provocation  to  feelings  and  conduct  of  a  different  kind  " ; 
but  at  the  same  time  states  his  conviction  that  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  "  views  destroyed  not  only  the  very  foundation  of 
Unitarianism,  but  also  that  of  all  revealed  religion.  We 
may,"  he  adds,  "  be  quite  wrong  in  this,  but  we  hold  this 

236 


1851]     "GOD  HIS  OWN  INTERPRETER" 

opinion  sincerely  and  sorrowfully."     ISIr.  Martineau  notices 
this  position  in  the  following  letter :  — 

Liverpool,  Sept.  17,  1851. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  I  send  for  your  acceptance  a  copy  of  the 
obnoxious  sermon,  which  was  not  ready  for  delivery  at  the 
date  of  my  last  note.  In  asking  for  an  unprejudiced  considera- 
tion of  it,  I  have  no  desire  to  intercept  that  just  course  of 
honest  criticism  which  an  editor  and  public  teacher  owes  to 
his  readers  and  his  conscience.  I  am  not  less  grateful  to  you 
for  the  frank  expression  of  dissent  contained  in  your  note  of 
the  14th,  than  for  your  considerate  acknowledgment  that  my 
word  of  expostulation  may  not  have  been  entirely  without 
ground.  Indeed  I  am  anxious  to  repeat  that  it  was  not  against 
any  severity  or  personality  in  the  comments  of  the  "  Christian 
Reformer "  that  I  made  complaint ;  but  simply  against  the 
adoption,  without  direct  verification,  of  Dr.  Vaughan's  cari- 
cature, as  a  sufficient  ground  for  a  verdict  of  repudiation.  Had 
the  very  same  comments  been  made  upon  the  Sermon  duly 
authenticated  by  publication,  I  should  have  felt  no  displeasure, 
however  sorry  to  be  excluded  from  sympathy  with  [one  whom] 
I  deeply  value  and  respect. 

I  was  not  at  all  aware  that  the  sermon  in  question  had  been 
made  the  subject  of  any  remark,  beyond  a  word  or  two  that 
fell  from  Mr.  Chorley  in  conversation  with  me  at  the  College 
examination.  Nor  had  I  the  least  consciousness  of  its  tendency 
to  excite  the  sort  of  feeling  which  it  has  called  forth.  I  fear 
you  will  regard  this  as  only  the  indication  of  an  incorrigible 
habit  of  heresy. 

I  readily  acknowledge  that  the  grounds  of  your  expressed 
dissent  from  the  opinions  imputed  to  me  are  grave  and  suffi- 
cient, provided  they  are  real.  But  I  am  at  a  loss  to  understand 
how  they  can  appear  to  be  so.  You  and  I  are  equally,  I  im- 
agine, believers  in  revealed  religion,  and  in  the  same  revealed 
religion ;  i.  e.,  in  the  same  essential  view  of  life,  of  God,  of 
futurity,  as  imparted  to  us  by  the  supernatural  inspiration  of 
Christ.  But  while  both  the  religion  authorised  and  the  source 
of  authorisation  are  the  same,  we  probably  take  different  views 
of  the  mode  of  authorisation ;  the  evidence  which  satisfies  each 
of  us  being  inconclusive  with  the  other.  Is  it  right  to  call  this 
a  "destruction  of  the  foundations  of  revealed  religion''?  Do 
I  any  more  destroy  your  foundation  than  you  destroy  mine? 
Certainly,  if  you  held  my  negative  views  without  my  positive, 
your  faith  in  revealed  religion  would  be  gone;    and  this,  I 

237  -      ' 


HOPE    STREET  [1851 

think,  is  the  case  probably  present  to  your  imag-ination.  But 
equally  should  I  cease  to  be  a  Christian,  if,  without  adopting 
your  estimate  of  the  external  evidences,  I  sympathised  with 
your  repudiation  of  the  internal  as  they  present  themselves 
to  me.  Yet  I  should  never  think  of  describing  this  fact  by 
speaking  of  you  as  implicitly  a  destroyer  of  revealed  religion. 
We  have  always  thought  it  illiberal  in  the  orthodox  to  deny 
the  name  of  Christian  to  us  as  Unitarians.  Yet  they  differ 
from  us  in  the  religion  itself,  —  in  the  whole  thing  supposed 
to  be  revealed.  If,  in  the  case  of  such  a  difference  as  this,  it 
be  a  narrow  thing  to  impute  "  infidelity,"  can  it  be  less  so  when 
the  faith  received  as  of  divine  authority  is  the  same,  and  the 
only  difference  has  relation  to  the  proper  instruments  of  proof? 
Were  I  simply  to  yield  to  my  own  impression  of  Dr.  Vaughan's 
defence  of  Inspiration  in  the  article  on  Greg,  I  should  say, 
that  he  had  done  what  was  possible  to  render  the  cause  of 
Christianity  hopeless,  by  so  deplorable  an  exhibition  of  weak- 
ness. This  I  fancy  is  pretty  much  what  you  feel  with  respect 
to  the  method  of  reasoning  which  I  should  import  into  the  same 
subjects.  But  surely  it  is  not  right  in  either  case  to  substitute, 
in  our  estimate  of  a  man's  faith  and  labours,  the  consequences 
which  we  should  deduce  from  his  premises,  for  those  which  he 
evolves  for  himself.  Is  not  this  indeed  the  very  essence  and 
principle  of  all  uncharitable  construction  ?  —  Is  it  nothing  that 
we  adore  the  same  infinite  Spirit,  revere  the  same  authoritative 
type  of  perfection,  feel  the  Divine  obligation  of  the  same  Moral 
Law,  and  cherish  the  same  immortal  hope?  And  must  we,  in 
forgetfulness  of  this  profound  and  ultimate  agreement,  suspect 
and  excommunicate  each  other,  because  the  logical  paths  by 
which  we  reach  it  do  not  coincide?  And  affect  concurrence 
with  those  whose  whole  view  of  the  Divine  government  and 
basis  of  trust  is  utterly  at  variance  with  ours?  What  is  this 
but  to  strain  at  a  gnat  and  swallow  a  camel? 

But  I  have  no  intention  to  draw  you  into  any  discussion  on 
this  matter.  My  only  wish  is  to  alleviate  every  uneasy  feeling 
arising  from  misapprehension  and  fostered  by  the  over-sensi- 
tive condition  of  the  theological  imagination.  Where  public 
occasion  arises  for  adverting  to  the  points  really  at  issue,  it  is 
greatly  to  be  desired  that  they  should  be  treated  with  a  single 
and  thorough  regard  to  what  is  true,  without  reflection  upon 
persons  or  reckoning  of  consequences.  There  seems  to  me 
throughout  our  religious  body  a  marked  and  melancholy  decline 
of  late  years  in  this  spirit  of  confiding  openness  to  truth,  and 
a  constant  approach  to  the  particular  style  of  argument,  at 

238 


1852]     "ETHICS    OF    CHRISTENDOM" 

once  irritated  and  reserved  which  characterises  frightened  sects. 
When  I  turn  to  Dr.  Priestley  I  find  a  direct  and  fearless  pene- 
tration to  the  core  of  every  subject,  which,  when  compared  with 
the  shifty  partisanship  of  the  present  day,  makes  me  feel  how 
we  have  receded  from  the  example  of  a  pure,  ingenuous,  and 
earnest  mind. 

With  renewed  thanks  for  your  friendly  and  candid  reception 
of  my  remonstrance, 

I  remain,  my  dear  Sir, 

Ever  faithfully  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

In  1852  the  "  Prospective  Review  "  contained  two  philo- 
sophical essays,  one  on  the  "  Theory  of  Reasoning,"  the 
other  on  "  The  Soul  in  Nature."  ^  The  latter  appears  in 
the  Essays  under  the  corrected  title,  "  The  Unity  of  Mind 
in  Nature."  Of  a  more  theological  type  is  a  powerful  article 
on  "  The  Ethics  of  Christendom."  ^  In  this  article  Mr. 
Martineau  defends  the  thesis  that  the  fundamental  idea  of 
Christendom  is  '^  the  ascent  through  Conscience  into  com- 
munion with  God,"  and  "  to  this  sentiment,  conveyed  with 
living  realisation  in  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  may  be 
referred  whatever  is  distinctively  great  in  Christian  ethics." 
But  though  it  vindicated  itself  in  the  scheme  of  applied 
morals,  these  are  so  mixed  up  with  the  errors  of  a  particular 
time  that,  when  they  are  distorted  into  a  rigid  code,  the 
original  idea  is  often  entirely  reversed.  The  expectation 
of  the  immediate  end  of  the  world  imposed  upon  the  first 
age  certain  lines  of  conduct  which  are  purely  mischievous 
when  transferred  to  our  own ;  and  the  effort  of  Protestant- 
ism to  take  the  apostolic  age  as  an  exact  model  for  all  time 
has  led  to  the  co-existence  of  two  codes,  the  religious  and 
the  secular,  in  the  same  social  body,  and  even  in  the  same 
man.     His  views  in  regard  to  the  legitimacy  of  force  are 


1  Both  reprinted  in  "Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological"  (2d  series), 
1869,  and  in  Essays,  III. 

2  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity,"  from  the  "  Westminster  Review," 
January,  1852. 


HOPE    STREET  [1853 

strongly  expressed.  The  non-resistance  of  the  first  disciples 
only  meant  that  they  were  not  to  anticipate  the  hour,  fast 
approaching,  of  Messiah's  descent  to  claim  his  throne. 
"  The  new  reign  was  to  come  with  force;  and  on  nothing 
else,  in  the  last  resort,  was  there  any  reliance."  Hence  he 
treats  as  a  mischievous  class  "  the  amiable  enthusiasts  who 
propose  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  nations  on  principles  of 
brotherly  love."  Human  life  is  not  so  sacred  as  justice  and 
right,  and  all  government  exists  to  enforce  law  by  the  in- 
fliction of  punishment  for  its  violation.  He  considers  it  a 
delusion  to  rely  on  courts  as  a  substitute  for  armies;  for 
only  a  European  army  could  enforce  their  decrees.  This, 
however,  is  only  one  illustration  of  its  main  theme,  which 
is,  to  maintain  the  rights  of  the  natural  conscience  at  once 
against  the  extreme  Lutheran  doctrine  and  its  modern  an- 
tithesis :  "  Neither  do  we  believe  with  Luther,  that  human 
nature  is  a  mere  devilish  anarchy,  reducible  only  by  super- 
natural irruption;  nor  with  the  newest  school,  that  it  is  a 
divine  anarchy,  equally  uncontrollable  from  within,  and  to 
be  accepted  as  a  wild  fact;  but  that  it  is  a  hierarchy  of 
pozvers,  each  having  and  knowing  its  rightful  place,  and 
appealing  to  us  to  maintain  it  there." 

In  the  same  year  appeared  a  review  of  "  The  Restoration 
of  Belief."  ^  This  relates  chiefly  to  the  state  of  religious 
belief  which  at  that  time  characterised  English  society,  and 
to  the  grave  defects  in  the  author's  mode  of  maintaining 
the  truth  of  Christianity,  and  the  unfairness  of  his  attacks 
on  such  men  as  Newman  and  Greg.  Consequently,  though 
it  is  written  with  Mr.  Martineau's  usual  clearness  and  force, 
it  is  more  temporary  in  its  scope  than  many  of  his  other 
essays,  and  introduces  us  to  little  with  which  we  are  not 
already  familiar  in  his  thought.  One  or  two  sentences,  how- 
ever, may  be  quoted :    "  Religion,  in  its  ultimate  essence, 

^  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity,"  from  the  "  Westminster  Review," 
July,  1852. 

240 


i35a]     NEWMAN  AND  THE  "REVIEW" 

is  a  sentiment  of  Reverence  for  a  Higher  than  ourselves. 
.  .  .  Reverence  can  attach  itself  exclusively  to  a  person;  it 
cannot  direct  itself  on  what  is  fwipersonal.  ...  All  the 
sentiments  characteristic  of  religion  presuppose  a  Personal 
Object,  and  assert  their  power  only  where  Manhood  is  the 
type  of  Godhead." 

In  the  course  of  this  year  a  review  of  Rogers's  "  Eclipse 
of  Faith,"  from  the  pen  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Wicksteed, 
appeared  in  the  "  Prospective."  F.  W.  Newman  thought 
that  this  review  did  him  a  grave  injustice  by  adopting 
Rogers's  misrepresentations  of  the  views  expressed  in 
"  Phases  of  Faith."  On  August  1 1  he  wrote  a  remonstrance 
to  Mr.  Martineau,  complaining  at  the  same  time  that  the 
latter  had  misunderstood  the  passage  about  Fletcher  of 
Madeley.  On  the  13th  Mr.  Martineau  replied,  defending 
his  own  criticisms,  but  declaring  that  he  had  read  the  review 
"  with  serious  mortification  and  offence."  On  the  i8th  he 
sent  a  long  communication  on  the  subject  to  Mr.  Wicksteed, 
who,  however,  was  unable  to  perceive  that  any  reparation 
was  due ;  and,  after  some  further  correspondence,  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau, moved  by  a  chivalrous  sense  of  justice,  wrote  the 
following  letter :  — 

Park  Nook,  Liverpool,  Sept.  g,  1852. 

My  dear  Wicksteed,  —  Your  decision  to  let  Mr.  New- 
man's remonstrance  pass  without  result  —  a  decision  which, 
with  your  view  of  the  case,  is  perfectly  natural  —  settles  the 
affair  as  between  you  and  him ;  and  though  he  may  regret  his 
inability  to  convince  you,  he  has  no  right  to  expect  an  acknow- 
ledgment from  you  which  you  could  not  sincerely  make. 

And  as  between  you  and  the  "  Prospective,"  there  is  nothing 
but  a  difference  of  judgment,  which  —  though  certainly  affect- 
ing our  treatment  of  very  fundamental  matters  —  I  should  be 
altogether  disinclined  to  press  to  any  serious  consequences, 
and  should  be  quite  content  with  discussing  in  hope  of  attain- 
ing greater  unity  for  the  future,  or  permitting  to  remain,  were 
this  impossible. 

But  as  between  Mr.  Newman  and  myself,  I  feel  the  case  to 
be  very  different.  He  complains  to  me,  as  a  responsible  Editor, 
16  241 


HOPE    STREET  [1852 

of  a  literary  injustice ;  I  acknowlc(lp;-e  to  him  that  he  has 
grounds  for  his  complaint,  and  undertake  to  see,  as  far  as  in 
me  lies,  that  right  shall  be  done.  In  this  I  fail.  Nothing  can 
be  plainer  than  that  I  am  in  honour  bound  to  withdraw  from  a 
position,  in  which  I  am  obliged  to  confess,  and  unable  to  re- 
pair, an  injustice.  Inability  to  give  effect  to  opinions  on  mat- 
ters of  thought  is  no  sufficent  reason  for  quitting  a  joint 
enterprise,  necessarily  involving  a  mixture  and  balance  of 
judgments.  But  inability  to  give  effect  to  one's  sense  of  right 
in  matters  of  personal  ethics  is  an  imperative  reason  for  de- 
clining a  responsibility  whose  moral  conditions  can  no  longer 
be  answered.  Did  I  not  act  on  this  principle,  I  should  feel  as 
if  always  under  Mr.  Newman's  silent  reproach ;  "  you  felt  that 
your  *  Review  '  had  done  me  wrong,  yet  made  yourself  a  party 
to  smothering  the  wrong  and  putting  a  good  face  upon  it ;  and 
this,  though  you  knew  that  by  my  frequent  contributions  to  the 
'  Prospective,'  and  your  friendly  notices  of  my  books,  your 
*  Review '  was  likely  to  be  particularly  trusted  as  a  fair  ex- 
pounder of  my  views." 

I  have  therefore  only  to  write  to  Newman  and  report  to  him 
that  I  have  ceased  to  be  one  of  the  Editors  of  the  "  Review." 
This  done,  I  shall  not  feel  it  necessary  to  make  any  public  ex- 
planation of  the  reason  for  withdrawal ;  but  shall  simply  wish 
some  advertisements  to  appear  immediately  with  the  omission  of 
my  name.  I  shall  still  be  not  less  willing  than  before  to  accept, 
as  a  contributor,  any  work  that  may  be  entrusted  to  me,  and 
that  other  claims  allow  me  to  execute.  In  short,  it  will  make 
no  difference  in  my  feeling  towards  the  "  Review  "  or  towards 
my  dear  and  honoured  Editorial  friends,  —  whom  I  know  to 
be  as  good  and  noble  and  simply  truth-loving,  where  they 
leave  me  to  a  lonely  path,  as  where  I  can  walk  with  them  side 
by  side. 

Ever  affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

Mr.  Wicksteed  immediately  replied  in  a  kind  letter,  say- 
ing that  he  must  be  the  one  to  withdraw.  However,  "  a 
long  and  brisk  controversy  "  took  place  among  the  Editors ; 
and  on  the  15th  of  October  Mr.  Martineau  was  able  to  write 
to  Newman,  proposing  that  he  should  send  for  insertion  in 
the  next  number  a  note,  addressed  to  the  writer  of  the 

242 


1852]      NEWMAN  AND  THE   -REVIEW" 

**  Review,"  stating  compendiously  the  points  on  which  he 
felt  that  his  sentiments  had  been  unfairly  presented.  This 
proposal  was  declined ;  and  Mr.  Martineau  wrote  as  follows 
on  October  27 :  — 

My  dear  Newman,  —  It  grieves  me  that  it  seems  to  you 
impossible  for  us  to  do  anything  towards  setting  you  right 
with  our  readers ;  and  still  more,  that  a  former  article  of  mine 
should  be  the  obstacle  hindering  us  from  making  due  repara- 
tion now.  What  can  I  say,  but  that  I  have  entertained  no  Vv'ish 
in  relation  to  the  article  on  the  "  Eclipse  of  Faith  "  that  I  would 
not  equally  apply  to  the  article  on  the  "  Phases  " ;  and  that  the 
"  Prospective  "  would  have  been  open,  had  I  known,  as  the 
"  Miscellanies  "  are  still,  now  that  I  do  know  your  feeling,  to 
any  explanation  or  complaint  you  may  judge  to  be  fit?  I  can- 
not truthfully  confess  any  consciousness  of  mistake  or  wrong; 
but  if  I  have  unconsciously  given  you  cause  to  feel  "  ag- 
grieved," I  should  desire  that  others  might  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  correcting  me  where  I  cannot  correct  myself.  But 
may  it  not  be  that  any  Review  containing  strong  expres- 
sions of  dissent  —  expressions  no  stronger  than  you  would 
yourself  feel  to  be  natural  and  necessary  in  noticing  a  work 
assailing  your  convictions  —  would  produce  much  the  same 
impression. 

The  matter  of  course  dies  a  natural  death,  as  the  only  course 
which  occurred  to  us  as  at  once  possible  and  incumbent  on  us 
is  declined.  As  to  your  being  "  one  of  our  writers,"  it  was  not 
in  the  least  on  that  ground  that  we  made  our  proposal ;  except 
that  it  must  needs  be  more  painful  to  hurt  a  friend  and  bene- 
factor than  a  stranger.  But  for  the  future,  if  you  desire  it,  we 
will  not  ask  you  to  help  us ;  only  do  not  refuse  to  receive  our 
numbers  as  they  appear,  if  it  be  but  to  scold  us  at  the  right 
time  and  place,  and  check  our  aberrations.  Let  us  keep  you 
near  us,  if  not  as  writer,  at  least  as  our  faithful  censor.  At  all 
events  be  not  so  unrelenting  as  positively  to  turn  us  out  of 
your  house. 

Yours  ever  aifectionately, 

James  Martineau. 

This  called  forth  from  Newman  so  warm  a  tribute  of 
friendship  that  a  few  words  must  be  quoted :    "  Though 

243 


HOPE    STREET  [1842-1849 

your  affection  is  so  deep,  and  generosity  so  wide,  I  fear  your 
sensitiveness  may  be  something  so  intense,  that  I  may  be 
unable  to  still  your  pain  at  the  idea  that  you  have  committed 
an  injury  on  me,  or  that  I  think  you  have.  .  .  .  Now  of 
this,  my  very  dear  and  tender-hearted  and  conscientious 
friend,  be  assured.  Your  writing  against  has  not  made  me 
think  more  meanly  of  your  talents  and  of  your  insight,  nor 
of  your  fairness ;  but  it  has  solely  aided  my  charity  towards 
others.  ...  As  for  you,  I  so  know  your  noble  heart,  your 
upright  mind,  and  your  personal  affection,  that  when  you 
also  misunderstand  me,  it  has  no  weight  whatever  to  make 
me  for  a  moment  think  you  do  so  on  purpose."  This  letter 
was  regarded  as  an  act  of  oblivion,  and  after  some  further 
correspondence  all  ended  amicably. 

It  may  have  been  partly  due  to  the  depressing  effect  of 
these  transactions  that  he  became  despondent  about  his 
health.  He  felt  that  he  could  not  rely  on  it  sufficiently  to 
undertake  extraneous  engagements.  He  writes  to  his  friend 
Wicksteed,  September  9 :  "Somehow,  this  summer  has  made 
sad  havoc  with  me ;  and  I  begin  to  think  that,  in  this  climate, 
I  shall  never  be  well  again." 

The  great  family  event  of  the  year  1853  was  the  engage- 
ment of  the  eldest  daughter  to  Mr.  Leyson  Lewis.  They 
were  married  by  Mr.  Thom  in  Hope  Street  Church  on  the 
5th  of  October. 

Events  of  a  more  public  character  now  require  us  to  go 
back  a  few  years  in  our  narrative.  Attempts  had  been  made 
to  deprive  the  Unitarians  of  their  chapels  and  other  property 
which  had  come  down  to  them  from  their  forefathers.  The 
decision  of  the  House  of  Lords,  in  1842,  in  the  case  of  the 
Lady  Hewley  Trust,  showed  that  under  the  existing  law 
the  endowments  could  not  be  retained,  and  it  was  necessary 
to  seek  for  protection  through  an  act  of  Parliament.  As 
the  congregations  which  were  interested  in  these  endow- 
ments were  descended  from  the  old  English  Presbyterians, 

244 


I842-I849]    ORIGIN  OF  UNIVERSITY  HALL 

and  in  many  instances  retained  the  ancient  name,  a  "  Pres- 
byterian Union  "  was  formed,  and  a  committee  appointed, 
for  promoting  a  Bill  in  Parliament  to  secure  their  property 
against  future  attacks.  This  Bill,  known  as  the  "Dissenters' 
Chapels  Bill,"  was  so  obviously  just  that  it  was  passed  in 
both  Houses  by  overwhelming  majorities,  the  final  division 
in  the  House  of  Lords  being  taken  on  the  15th  of  July, 
1844.  Without  waiting  for  the  Royal  Assent,  which  was 
given  on  the  19th,  a  meeting  of  the  General  Committee  of 
the  Presbyterian  Union  was  held  at  Fendall's  Hotel,  Old 
Palace  Yard,  on  the  i6th  of  July,  under  the  presidency  of 
Mr.  Thomas  Thornely,  M.P. ;  and  it  was  resolved  "  that, 
viewing  this  measure  as  the  first  legislative  recognition  of 
the  great  truth,  that  the  sanctity  of  private  judgment  in 
matters  of  religion  may  be  a  principle  in  men's  minds  para- 
mount to  the  holding  of  any  peculiar  dogmas,  we  would 
venture  to  suggest  the  formation  of  some  permanent  memo- 
rial, educational  or  otherwise,  to  perpetuate  in  the  most 
useful  form  the  great  principle  of  unlimited  religious  liberty ; 
and  that  the  following  Gentlemen  be  requested  to  form  a 
Committee,  with  power  to  add  to  their  number,  to  consider 
the  means  of  carrying  out  this  design."  After  various 
inquiries,  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  was  held  at  Dr. 
Williams's  Library,  on  the  28th  of  July,  1846,  under  the 
chairmanship  of  Mr.  James  Heywood,  when  it  was  resolved 
"  that  a  building  be  erected  or  obtained  for  the  residence 
and  accommodation  of  young  men  attending  University 
College,  London,  including  suitable  rooms  for  Lectures,  a 
Library,  and  a  Residence  for  a  Principal  or  Superintendent. 
That  the  management  of  such  building  be  placed  under  the 
control  of  a  Committee.  That  the  Students  have  every 
opportunity  of  attending  all  or  any  of  the  classes  at  Univer- 
sity College,  London.  And  that  theological  instruction  be 
also  given."  The  theological  instruction  was  to  be  "  of  that 
impartial  character  which  is  calculated  to  promote  and  stim- 

245 


HOPE    STREET  [1846-1851 

ulatc  religious  inquiry  and  the  exercise  of  private  judg- 
ment." The  Committee  also  thought  it  would  be  "  of  great 
moment  that  the  sons  of  Non-Subscribing  Dissenters  should 
associate  during  their  University  career  v^ith  Students  of 
religious  opinions  differing  from  their  own."  The  Insti- 
tution would  "  constitute  a  most  honourable  and  permanent 
memorial  of  the  great  principle  of  unlimited  religious  lib- 
erty." A  circular  embodying  and  recommending  these 
proposals  was  sanctioned  by  the  Committee  on  the  ist  of 
December,  Sufficient  funds  were  raised,  in  the  form  of 
proprietary  shares,  and  before  June,  1848,  contracts  had 
been  entered  into  for  building  University  Hall  in  Gordon 
Square.  The  first  stone  was  laid  by  Mr.  Mark  Philips  on 
the  20th  of  July,  and  an  address  was  delivered  in  the  theatre 
of  University  College,  kindly  lent  for  the  purpose,  by  Pro- 
fessor F.  W.  Newman,  who  had  accepted  the  appointment 
of  Principal.  Newman,  however,  soon  resigned ;  and  the 
Hall  was  opened  for  students  on  the  i6th  of  October,  1849, 
under  the  Principalship  of  the  poet,  Arthur  Hugh  Clough, 
late  Fellow  and  Tutor  of  Oriel  College,  Oxford,  Mr.  R.  H. 
Hutton  being,  for  one  session,  the  Vice-Principal. 

About  the  same  time  another  institution  was  founded, 
which  requires  a  moment's  notice.  On  the  29th  of  July, 
1846,  Mr.  John  Owens,  of  Manchester,  died,  leaving  prop- 
erty of  about  the  value  of  f  100,000,  for  the  establishment 
in  Manchester,  or  the  immediate  neighbourhood,  of  a  Col- 
lege absolutely  free  from  religious  tests,  and  appointing 
trustees  belonging  to  different  denominations  to  carry  out 
his  purpose.  A  scheme  constituting  the  College  was,  in  due 
course,  prepared  by  the  trustees.  An  able  Principal  was 
found  in  Mr.  Alexander  John  Scott,  and  on  the  12th  of 
March,  1851,  Owens  College  was  opened  in  a  large  dwelling- 
house  in  Quay  Street,  once  the  residence  of  Richard  Cobden, 
M^here  it  remained  for  several  years.  This  munificent  en- 
dowment destroyed  all   lingering  hopes  of  making  Man- 

246 


I844-I853]     COLLEGE  REMOVAL  PROPOSED 

Chester  New  College  the  centre  of  the  highest  educational 
influences  in  the  district. 

By  the  establishment  of  these  institutions  the  fortunes 
of  Manchester  New  College,  and  through  it  of  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau,  were  deeply  affected.  Although,  at  the  time  of  the 
removal  from  York,  the  minority  had  loyally  acquiesced  in 
the  decision  which  was  adopted,  yet  the  preference  for 
London  as  the  fitting  locality  for  the  College  never  died 
away.  The  apparent  want  of  success  attending  the  new 
experiment  was  carefully  noted,  and  as  early  as  1844  a 
Special  Committee  was  appointed  to  take  into  consideration 
the  condition  and  prospects  of  the  College.  The  Committee 
reported  that  the  experiment  was  "  entirely  successful," 
basing  their  conclusion  on  the  efficiency  of  the  Professors, 
and  the  success  of  the  students  in  the  University  of  London. 
Nevertheless,  the  dissatisfaction  remained,  and  at  a  general 
meeting  of  the  Trustees,  held  on  the  26th  of  June,  1846, 
a  resolution  was  proposed  recommending  the  Committee  to 
take  into  consideration  the  advisability  of  continuing  the 
College  in  Manchester.  On  a  division  this  resolution  was 
defeated,  not,  however,  by  a  direct  negative  but  by  carrying 
"  the  previous  question."  In  their  Report  presented  to  the 
Trustees  at  the  Annual  Meeting  in  1847  the  Committee 
expressed  the  hope  that  the  students  might,  in  time,  resort 
to  Owens  College  for  a  part  of  their  instruction ;  and 
towards  the  close  of  the  year  they  replied  to  a  communi- 
cation from  the  Council  of  University  Hall  that  they  were 
unable  to  enter  into  negotiations  involving  the  question  of 
a  removal  to  London.  In  their  Report,  presented  to  the 
Annual  Meeting  of  Trustees  on  the  i6th  of  March,  1848, 
they  recorded  the  foregoing  facts,  again  suggested  a  con- 
nection with  Owens  College,  and  expressed  an  opinion 
strongly  adverse  to  a  connection  with  University  College, 
London,  or  a  union  with  University  Hall.  The  motion, 
"  that  the  Address  be  received  and  adopted,"  was  met  by 

247 


HOPE    STREET  [1844-1853 

an  amendment,  "  that  all  the  words  in  the  Report  now  read, 
be  left  out,  which  have  reference  to  the  continuance  of 
Manchester  New  College,  in  Manchester."  This  amend- 
ment was  carried  by  thirty-one  to  thirty;  and  a  Special 
Committee  was  then  appointed  to  consider  the  whole  ques- 
tion, and  report  to  a  future  meeting.  Their  report  was 
presented  on  the  30th  of  June.  It  consisted  chiefly  of  facts 
and  considerations  bearing  on  alternative  plans.  One  point 
seemed  for  the  moment  of  vital  importance.  A  case  had 
been  submitted  to  Counsel,  and  Mr.  Bethell  and  Mr.  Roun- 
dell  Palmer,  of  the  Chancery  Bar,  had  given  their  joint 
opinion  that  the  proposed  removal  of  the  institution  could 
not  be  lawfully  effected,  the  original  objects  of  the  charity 
being  clearly  local.  In  June,  1850,  as  there  was  at  last  some 
prospect  of  the  opening  of  Owens  College,  Mr.  W.  R.  Wood 
proposed  a  series  of  resolutions,  which  were  unanimously 
adopted,  appointing  a  Special  Committee  to  consider  and 
obtain  information  on  the  question  of  a  connection  between 
the  two  Colleges.  The  following  June  the  Special  Com- 
mittee was  still  unable  to  report,  Owens  College  having  been 
opened  so  recently.  A  special  meeting  of  Trustees  was  held 
on  the  17th  of  December,  1851,  when  the  Special  Committee 
presented  their  Report,  in  which  they  confined  themselves 
mainly  to  a  statement  of  facts,  and  recommended  the  Trus- 
tees to  postpone  the  consideration  of  measures  which  had 
for  their  object  a  connection  with  Owens  College.  At  this 
meeting  Mr.  Martineau  spoke,  pleading  that  the  case  en- 
trusted to  the  consideration  of  a  committee  should  be  opened 
to  the  widest  extent.  He  felt  that  circumstances  were  en- 
tirely changed  since  he  had  voted  for  the  continuance  of  the 
institution  in  Manchester.  It  was  now  almost  certain  that 
they  must  limit  themselves  to  a  theological  course,  and  rely 
upon  some  other  College  for  completing  the  education  of 
their  students.  University  College  would  offer  them  a  high 
standard  of  instruction.    Mr.  J.  J.  Tayler  also  spoke,  main- 

248 


I844-I853]     COLLEGE  REMOVAL  PROPOSED 

taining  that  experience  had  confirmed  the  view  which  he 
had  always  entertained  in  favour  of  London.  Ultimately 
a  large  committee  was  appointed  to  consider  the  general 
position  of  the  College.  A  few  days  afterwards,  December 
22,  Mr.  W.  R.  Wood  addressed  a  letter  to  the  Trustees  who 
attended  the  meeting,  stating  that,  after  full  deliberation, 
he  should  regard  it  as  his  duty  to  oppose  any  attempt  to 
obtain  parliamentary  authority  for  the  removal  of  the  Col- 
lege from  Manchester. 

The  decisive  meeting  was  held  on  Dec.  8,  1852,  in 
the  Cross  Street  Chapel  Room.  The  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee presented  the  necessary  facts  relating  to  Owens 
College,  University  College,  and  University  Hall,  and  re- 
commended the  abandonment  of  the  "  Literary  and  Scien- 
tific Department  of  Manchester  New  College  as  an  integral 
and  separate  institution."  The  opinion  was  expressed  that 
the  removal  of  the  College,  if  unopposed,  might  be  carried 
into  effect  without  the  sanction  of  an  Act  of  Parliament; 
and  it  was  stated  that  the  Council  of  University  Hall  was 
quite  willing  to  promote  an  amalgamation  of  the  two  insti- 
tutions. The  Rev.  John  Kenrick  proposed  a  resolution 
approving  of  the  "  establishment  of  Manchester  New  Col- 
lege in  London  as  a  Theological  Institution  in  connection, 
for  literary  and  scientific  purposes,  with  University  Col- 
lege." This  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Mark  Philips.  Mr.  James 
Yates,  who  thought  that  the  constitution  of  the  College 
made  it  impossible  to  carry  the  resolution  into  effect,  moved 
an  amendment  in  favour  of  a  connection  with  Owens  Col- 
lege; and  this  was  seconded  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Bache. 
Mr.  Martineau  spoke  in  support  of  the  resolution,  and  con- 
sidered the  legal  objection  to  be  merely  technical,  and  based 
on  no  well-defined  principle.  On  a  division  the  amendment 
was  lost  by  thirty-three  to  seventeen,  and  the  resolution  was 
then  carried,  only  three  or  four  hands  being  held  up  against 
it.     It  was  then  decided  that  formal  notice  should  be  given 

249 


HOPE    STREET  [1853 

to  the  Professors  of  the  termination  of  their  engagements 
at  the  close  of  the  session. 

The  fate  of  the  College,  however,  was  not  yet  settled.  At 
the  ensuing  annual  meeting  in  January  it  was  announced 
that  Mr.  W.  R.  Wood  had  thought  it  his  duty  to  commence 
proceedings  with  a  view  to  a  suit  in  Chancery,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  establishment  of  the  College  in  London.  It  was 
in  the  power  of  the  majority  of  Trustees,  under  Sir  Samuel 
Romilly's  Act  affecting  Charitable  Trusts,  to  proceed  by 
way  of  petition  to  the  Master  of  the  Rolls,  and  accordingly 
the  petition  came  before  his  Court,  on  Friday,  February  25. 
Judgment  was  given  on  Wednesday,  April  13,  and  was 
entirely  in  favour  of  the  petitioners,  and  declared  that  it 
was  "  consistent  with  the  original  scope  and  object  of  the 
institution  that  the  same  should  be  transferred  to  London, 
or  to  such  other  place  as,  in  the  opinion  of  the  majority  of 
the  Trustees  for  the  time  being,  shall  be  best  calculated  to 
advance  the  objects  and  design  of  the  institution." 

The  way  was  now  clear  for  the  adoption  of  new  arrange- 
ments. On  the  25th  of  May  these  were  taken  into  consid- 
eration by  a  meeting  of  Trustees.  The  Special  Committee 
appointed  to  prepare  a  scheme  strongly  recommended  that, 
in  addition  to  the  purely  theological  staff,  there  should  be 
a  distinct  Professorship  of  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy 
and  Political  Economy.  This,  however,  would  require  a 
considerable  increase  in  the  funds,  and  it  was  therefore 
suggested,  as  an  alternative  scheme,  that  the  professor  of 
Doctrinal  and  Practical  Theology  should  lecture  on  Chris- 
tian Ethics,  and  that  for  more  systematic  instruction  in 
Mental  and  Moral  Science  the  services  of  a  supplemen- 
tary lecturer  might  be  engaged.  The  smaller  scheme  was 
adopted,  though  not  without  the  vote  of  a  minority  in 
favour  of  the  larger  one.  It  was  then  resolved  unanimously 
to  invite  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Tayler  to  accept  the  offices  of  Prin- 
cipal and  Professor  of  Ecclesiastical  History.    The  follow- 

250 


1852]      ANXIETY   ABOUT   PROFESSORSHIP 

ing  October,  Manchester  New  College  took  up  its  abode  in 
University  Hall.  The  two  institutions,  however,  though 
cordially  co-operating  in  the  fulfilment  of  their  educational 
ideals,  retained  their  independent  character,  and  neither 
was  responsible  for  the  success  or  failure  of  the  other.  The 
Principalship  of  the  Hall  was  at  this  time,  and  for  several 
years  subsequently,  held  by  Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter. 

Both  on  public  and  private  grounds  these  events  were 
watched  by  Mr.  Martineau  with  keen  interest  not  unmixed 
with  anxiety.  A  few  extracts  from  his  correspondence  will 
exhibit  his  state  of  mind.  The  following  paragraph,  from 
a  letter  to  his  friend,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Thorn,  was  written  in 
consequence  of  a  proposal  of  the  College  Committee  which 
he  found  it  impossible  to  entertain :  — 

Park  Nook,  Jan.  13,  1852. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  ...  So  dissipates  itself  another  fond 
dream  of  renewed  and  better  life.  One  more  —  of  academic 
work  in  America  —  yet  remains ;  should  this  also  prove  an 
illusion,  whatever  restlessness  I  have  —  and  with  it  alas !  much 
of  heart  and  hope  —  will  be  spent ;  and  I  shall  sympathise  too 
deeply  with  your  weariness  and  cruel  self-dissatisfactions,  — 
only,  dear  friend,  without  your  trust  in  a  regenerative  power. 
The  step  you  have  taken, ^  following  on  Tayler's  intended  re- 
moval, fills  me  with  a  sense  of  loneliness  and  despondency 
sadder  than  I  can  express.  I  privately  honour  your  resolve  to 
let  no  shade  gather  on  your  inward  truth  and  power;  but  in 
proportion  as  I  feel  assured  that  every  year  will  make  you 
richer  and  nobler  in  soul,  do  I  feel  that  there  are  no  years  in 
which  we  can  do  without  you,  and  that  an  intercalary  period 
in  your  ministry  will  be  an  irreparable  loss.  For  myself,  I  do 
not  think  that  anything  but  your  partnership  and  Tayler's 
keeps  me  among  the  Unitarians  at  all  ... ;  and  to  be  sepa- 
rated in  lot  from  you  is  a  thing  that  seems  to  threaten  all  my 
spiritual  relations.  God's  time  will  clear  many  things  now 
dark,  but  at  present  I  seem  to  see  but  a  terrible  and  agitating 
future.    Yours,  dear  friend,  with  all  love  and  trust, 

James  Martineau. 

1  Referring  to  a  temporary  retirement  from  his  ministry. 

2^1 


HOPE    STREET  [185. 

On  July  8,  1852,  he  writes  from  the  neighbourhood  of 
Colwyn  to  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton :  — 

FoRYD  Lodge,  near  Colwyn,  Conway,  July  8,  1852. 

My  dear  Richard,  —  ...  The  state  of  the  Manchester 
College  question  is  very  unsatisfactory,  —  like  most  things 
connected  with  the  Unitarian  interest  in  England.  It  is  so 
evident  that  our  London  friends  (at  least  the  London  Com- 
mittee) are  not  in  earnest  about  the  matter,  and  care  nothing 
about  it,  except  to  be  rid  of  the  difficulties  and  responsibilities 
on  their  hands,  that  every  one  —  even  Mr.  Tayler  —  is  utterly 
discouraged ;  and  we  begin  to  think  that  the  only  solution  of 
the  question  will  be  found  in  Mr.  Talbot's  plan,  —  to  let  the 
students  get  their  B.A.  degree  as  they  can,  and  then  come  to 
Manchester  for  their  special  theological  and  higher  philosoph- 
ical studies.  I  believe  there  is  not  one  of  us  who  is  not  ready 
to  go  anywhere  and  do  anything  possible  in  the  interests  of 
the  College  and  the  Ministry,  provided  there  be  a  fair  proba- 
bility of  effective  support  and  success.  But  so  long  as  London 
presents  an  aspect  of  total  apathy  and  sends  only  the  idlest, 
vaguest  statements  of  hypothetical  promise,  which  no  person 
in  his  senses  can  value  a  straw,  it  would  be  folly  to  expect  any 
good  from  a  removal. 

I  hear  the  postman's  horn  and  must  suddenly  close.  God 
bless  you  and  yours,  my  dear  Richard. 

Ever  yours  affectionately, 

James  Martineau. 

On  the  27th  of  October  in  the  same  year,  after  a  meeting 
of  the  Special  Committee,  at  which  every  suggested  plan  had 
a  majority  against  it,  he  writes  to  Mr.  F.  W.  Newman :  — 

"  At  Manchester  we  are  again  in  the  midst  of  the  vexed 
question  about  the  proper  destination  of  our  College.  In  the 
course  of  a  protracted  discussion  to-day,  it  was  asserted  that 
the  discipline  of  the  classes  in  your  College  is  not  in  a  satisfac- 
tory state;  and  that,  as  the  students  cannot  be  got  to  prepare 
their  work,  the  lessons  have  come  to  be  mere  prelections  by 
the  Professors.  1  do  not  believe  this  ;  but  nobody  was  present 
who  could  of  his  own  knowledge  deny  it.  How  do  the  facts 
stand  ?  Is  there  any  unfavourable  change  ?  My  own  wish  now 
is  decidedly  for  the  amalgamation  of  our  College  and  Univer- 
sity Hall,  the  requisite  theological  department  being  added. 

252 


1852]     ANXIETY   ABOUT   PROFESSORSHIP 

But  we  are  a  queer  crotchety  people ;  and  what  will  be  the  up- 
shot, nobody  can  foresee.  Anyhow,  I  imagine  my  occupation 
will  be  gone,  and  with  it,  any  faint  gleams  I  may  have  indulged 
of  more  systematic  study  and  more  exclusively  Professorial 
duties,  as  life  advanced." 

His  anxiety  was  increased  at  this  time  by  ill  health.  Mr. 
R.  H.  Hutton  writes  to  him  from  Barbadoes  on  the  27th 
of  November :  "  I  left  you  with  much  misgiving ;  your 
rheumatism,  and  pale  looks,  and  worst  of  all,  your  great 
pressure  of  work,  .  .  .  made  me  fear  that  you  may  not 
long  bear  such  intense  and  continuous  labour."  It  was 
already  felt  by  those  who  knew  him  best  that  his  presence 
and  influence  were  essential  to  the  future  success  of  the 
College;  and  Mr.  Tayler,  who  had  always  favoured  the 
removal  to  London,  wrote  to  him,  on  November  16,  that  he 
must  continue  with  it,  suggesting  that  he  might  some  time 
have  a  chair  in  University  College.  The  plan  proposed  to 
him  by  Mr.  Tayler  appeared  so  obviously  inconsistent  with 
his  duties  in  Liverpool  as  to  place  it  beyond  the  reach  of 
argument.  But  he  felt  deeply  the  severance  of  his  con- 
nection with  the  College,  and  the  reasons  which  made  it 
for  the  time  seem  inevitable.  Replying  to  Mr.  Tayler  on 
November  20,  he  says :  — 

"  The  only  office  for  which  I  do  think  I  have  attained  some 
qualification  not  contingent  on  the  latitude  of  Lancashire  or 
Middlesex  is  that  of  Teacher  in  Philosophy.  And  I  will  not 
deny  that  the  loss  of  this  function,  after  the  love  of  it  has  be- 
come confirmed  and  some  ripeness  for  it  has  been  laboriously 
reached,  has  much  bitterness  of  disappointment  in  it ;  all  the 
more  because  I  know  that  I  do  not  deserve  the  distrust  with 
which,  even  in  this  relation,  religious  prejudice  and  timidity 
visit  me.  But  I  see  that  my  career  in  this  direction  is  at  an 
end  ;  and  my  consolation  is  that,  so  long  as  you  exercise  a  para- 
mount influence  over  our  young  ministers  and  laymen  at  the 
most  susceptible  period  of  their  lives,  they  will  catch  the  very 
spirit  and  learn  to  love  the  great  truths,  which  it  seems  to  me 
of  the  deepest  moment  to  impart."    After  pointing  out  the  im- 

253 


HOPE    STREET  [issa 

possibility  of  his  acting  on  Mr.  Tayler's  suggestions,  he  pro- 
ceeds :  "  Were  it  otherwise,  however,  I  should  still  endeavour 
to  undeceive  you  about  the  character  of  my  teaching,  which 
is,  1  can  assure  you,  quite  the  opposite  of  your  conception,  — 
a  conception  formed  only  from  things  preached  or  printed. 
My  Lectures  are  the  driest,  dullest,  least  stimulating  —  often, 
I  fear,  least  intelligible  productions  at  the  time  —  to  which  an 
audience  could  listen ;  and  instead  of  frequenting  them  for  six 
weeks,  nobody  that  could  help  it  would  enter  the  room  a  second 
time.  And  they  are  more  likely  to  become  worse  than  better 
in  this  respect.  Yet  to  a  student,  zvho  has  time  to  read  and 
think  in  the  intervals,  I  believe  they  afford  the  requisite  help 
and  guidance  and  even  —  if  he  have  the  aptitude  —  some  en- 
thusiasm for  the  subjects  of  which  they  treat.  Indeed  you 
know  as  well  as  I  that  the  fitter  such  lectures  are  for  the  pur- 
poses of  strict  and  severe  philosophic  discipline,  the  more  ab- 
surd it  would  be  to  pour  them  out  in  the  hurrying  stream  of 
a  spring-torrent.  You  plead  that  such  a  plan  might  be  a  mere 
provisional  arrangement,  opening  the  way  to  something  more 
thorough  beyond.  Alas !  dear  friend,  I  have  reached  the  age 
when  '  ulterior  prospects '  in  this  world  are  necessarily  delu- 
sive; and  to  begin,  at  seven-and-forty,  to  conciliate  'adverse 
influences  '  and  stroke  the  raised  back  of  suspicions  that  have 
been  idly  prowling  about  for  twenty  years,  —  and  to  do  this 
with  a  view  to  remoter  possibilities  of  recognised  work,  is  a 
thing  that  I  have  either  too  little  spirit,  or  too  much,  to  under- 
take. The  truth  is,  I  fear  that  our  own  College  is  just  as 
effectually  closed  against  a  free,  though  it  be  a  reverential, 
philosophy  as  Oxford  or  Aberdeen." 

On  Dec.  i8,  1852,  he  wrote  as  follows  to  Mr.  Thorn,  who 
was  Secretary  of  the  Special  Committee :  — 

Park  Nook,  Dec.  18,  1852. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  It  is  perhaps  well  that  an  illness  which 
has  confined  me  to  my  bed  since  Monday  disables  me  from  say- 
ing more,  in  reply  to  the  inquiry  of  the  Special  Committee, 
than  is  absolutely  essential  to  their  further  proceedings  and 
due  to  them  in  return  for  the  trust  they  are  willing  to  repose 
in  me.  At  least  the  temptation  is  thus  removed  from  me  to 
complicate  the  question  by  adverting  to  details  which  should 
remain  over  to  a  later  stage  of  the  deliberations.  Let  me 
briefly  say,  then,  that,  notwithstanding  the  strong  roots  which 

254 


1853]    ANXIETY  ABOUT  PROFESSORSHIP 

I  have  struck  here  in  Liverpool,  confirmed  taste  and  that  de- 
gree of  acquired  fitness  which  makes  a  man  love  his  work,  as 
well  as  my  warm  interest  in  the  College  itself,  would  induce 
me  to  weigh,  with  the  most  real  desire  to  accede  to  them,  any 
proposals  that  might  be  brought  before  me  for  continuing 
in  its  service  as  one  of  the  resident  Professors  in  London. 
Whether  the  imprudence  involved  in  a  removal  from  a  minis- 
terial position  such  as  I  now  occupy  would  be  too  extreme,  — 
so  as  to  add  to  the  necessary  sufferings  of  transplantation,  the 
reproaches  of  counselling  friends  and  the  misgivings  of  my 
own  inner  judgment,  —  will  depend  on  conditions  not  at  pres- 
ent apparent.  I  fear  that  I  express  myself  very  ill ;  but  to  a 
vague  question  only  a  vague  answer  will  be  looked  for;  and 
in  my  present  state  of  weakness  I  am  incapable  of  saying  more 
or  better.  Ever  affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

On  Jan.  24,  1853,  he  replies  to  some  more  definite 
questions :  — 

TO  REV.  J.  H.  TIIOM. 

Park  Nook,  Jan.  24,  1853. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  To  begin  with  the  wrong  end  of  your 
queries ;  my  feeling  against  a  short  term  of  Lecturing  is 
unaltered. 

As  to  the  sources  of  my  proffered  salary;  my  relation  would 
be  solely  to  the  College,  to  which  alone  I  would  owe  responsi- 
bility. With  the  sources  of  the  College  Income,  and  its  means 
of  offering  a  certain  stipend,  I  have  nothing  to  do. 

The  History-TnYorship  I  do  not  say  I  would  absolutely  re- 
fuse ;  unless  it  were  understood  to  include  something  more 
than  a  mere  system  of  examination  and  guidance  in  reading, 
established  on  the  assumption  that  University  College  had  al- 
ready its  Professorship  of  History,  but  had  provided  imper- 
fectly for  the  historical  exercises  requisite  for  effective  study. 

But  even  for  this  work  I  feel  the  greatest  distrust  of  my  own 
powers.  And  though  I  would  rather  undertake  it,  if  it  were 
reduced  within  the  limits  of  my  capacity,  than  break  off  alto- 
gether from  the  service  of  the  College,  yet  the  additional  re- 
sponsibility and  labour  it  must  involve  would  greatly  and 
painfully  abate  my  hope  of  making  my  own  proper  depart- 
ment, of  philosophy  and  its  history,  vigorous  and  creditable. 
Ever  affectionately  yours, 

James  IMartineau. 
255 


HOPE    STREET  [1853 

We  have  seen  how  these  prehminary  negotiations  ended ; 
and  after  the  meeting  on  the  25th  of  May  he  believed  that 
liis  connection  with  the  College  had  terminated.  In  a  note 
to  Mr.  Thorn,  June  26,  he  says :  "  I  believe  it  to  be  best  that 
the  real  sympathies  of  our  body  should  manifest  themselves 
and  have  their  way.  For  myself,  I  throw  the  whole  matter 
off  my  mind,  and  turn  back  with  an  accepting  heart  to  the 
sphere  of  duty  which  God  determines  to  be  best." 

His  friend,  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton,  wrote  to  him,  on  July  12, 
1853,  calling  his  attention  to  an  article  in  "  The  Inquirer," 
urging  the  importance  of  appointing  in  the  College  a  pro- 
fessor of  Moral  Philosophy,  who  should  hold  the  same 
rank  as  the  other  professors,  and  suggesting  Mr.  Martineau 
as  one  whose  services  might  possibly  be  secured.  He  was 
about  to  issue  a  circular  appealing  for  a  separate  fund  to 
carry  out  this  object;  and,  in  his  letter,  he  implores  Mr. 
Martineau  not  to  check  his  efforts  by  any  premature  de- 
cision. His  brother  Joseph  Henry  entered  warmly  into  the 
plan,  and  added  a  note  in  which  he  maintained  that  the 
College  would  be  ruined  if  it  was  to  have  no  additional 
force  of  mind  and  influence  to  ally  with  Mr.  Tayler's  learn- 
ing, and  give  weight  to  the  College  in  London  among  the 
more  liberal  and  educated  men.  To  this  entreaty  Mr. 
Martineau  replied  in  the  following  letter :  — 

TO  R.  H.  HUTTON. 

Pendyffryn,  near  Conway,  July  13,  1853. 
My  dear  Richard,  —  Could  you  see  how  completely  the 
world  is  shut  out  from  me  here,  you  would  attribute  to  me  no 
power  for  good  or  ill  over  any  scheme  which  may  interest  either 
church  or  state,  and  engage  the  tongues  of  a  less  silent  spot 
than  this.  No  "  Inquirer  "  penetrates  to  these  Celtic  solitudes  ; 
no  Unitarian  qiiid-nunc  pushes  his  inquisitiveness  so  far;  and 
but  for  your  letter  received  this  morning,  no  tidings  probably 
would  have  reached  me  for  a  month  to  come  of  any  disturbance 
to  the  lull  into  which  College  affairs  had  subsided  when  I  last 
heard  of  them.    There  is  no  chance,  therefore,  of  my  interposi- 

256 


1853]      ANXIETY  ABOUT  PROFESSORSHIP 

tion  in  any  way,  unless  by  giving  a  personal  character  to  the 
movement,  instead  of  dealing  with  the  general  merits  of  the 
case,  you  force  me  into  a  prematurely  responsible  position  and 
oblige  me  to  make  up  my  mind  on  hypothetical  data,  lest  by 
silence  I  should  run  the  risk  of  misleading  others.  So  long 
as  ultimate  refusal  remains  honourably  open  to  me,  notwith- 
standing the  previous  withholding  of  all  premonitory  signs,  I 
shall  be  passive  in  the  matter ;  both  because  I  feel  the  greatest 
interest,  wholly  apart  from  all  personal  relations,  in  the  proper 
vindication  of  the  slighted  department  itself,  and  because  I  al- 
ways shrink,  as  from  an  unfaithful  waste  of  time  and  strength, 
from  pronouncing  on  practical  questions  while  as  yet  they  have 
not  become  real  problems,  but  linger  in  the  speculative  stage. 
It  is  so  impossible  to  foresee,  amid  many  undetermined  condi- 
tions, what  may  become  one's  duty,  that  a  contingent  verdict 
is  ever  dangerous,  and  to  be  avoided,  if  it  can,  without  leaving 
false  impressions.  There  are  already  many  grounds  for  ap- 
prehension that  the  full  scheme  cannot  be  wisely  attempted. 
Mr.  Tayler's  consternation  (the  word  is  not  too  strong)  at  the 
idea  of  anything  so  large;  the  rejection  of  it  by  a  legitimate 
meeting  of  Trustees ;  the  aversion  of  the  Committee  to  it,  and 
the  doubt  whether  they  would  even  undertake  to  open  a  sepa- 
rate account  for  it,  and  administer  funds  specially  provided 
for  its  support ;  the  dislike  of  it  by  Londoners  and  the  main 
supporters  of  the  Hall ;  the  resistance  to  it  of  Mr.  Kenrick 
and  others,  who,  under  the  plea  of  financial  prudence,  probably 
conceal  a  feeling  (i)  of  disparagement  of  all  philosophical 
studies  (2)  of  direct  personal  objection;  all  tend  to  make  the 
attempt  in  the  highest  degree  precarious.  Without  hearty  sup- 
port from  both  the  Manchester  College  Committee  and  the 
Council  of  the  Hall,  without  also  the  real  confidence  of  the 
leaders  and  seniors  of  our  religious  body,  without  hopeful  as 
well  as  friendly  welcome  from  Mr.  Tayler,  the  Ethical  Profes- 
sor would  have  no  chance  of  real  efficiency.  To  overcome 
these  moral  obstacles  is  less  easy  than  to  create  the  pecuniary 
requisites.  Possibly,  hov/ever,  there  may  exist,  ready  to  be 
called  into  activity,  a  different  tone  of  sentiment  from  that 
which  has  hitherto  been  allowed  to  find  predominant  expres- 
sion and  power  among  us. 

I  am  rejoiced  to  find  that  you  have  the  comfort  of  Joseph 
Henry's  society  for  a  few  days.  Give  him  our  affectionate 
remembrances,  and  my  own  thanks  for  his  addition  to  your 
letter.  I  trust  that  impending  events  will  place  him  in  a 
permanently  satisfactory  position.  I  am  reading  Maurice's 
17  257 


HOPE    STREET  [1853 

"  Theoloji^ical  Essays,"  and  find  them,  notwithstanding  a  good 
deal  of  interest  in  parts,  on  the  whole  shadowy  and  unim- 
pressive. I  hardly  think  a  man  has  any  business  to  write  till 
he  has  brought  his  thoughts  into  distincter  shapes  and  better 
defined  relations  than  I  find  in  Maurice.  He  seems  to  me  to 
have  a  mere  presentiment  of  thinking,  a  tentative  process  in 
that  direction  that  never  fairly  succeeds  in  getting  home.  But 
I  have  thus  far  read  only  some  half-dozen  of  the  Essays.  With 
kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Roscoe  and  the  loving  remembrances 
of  all  our  party, 

Ever  affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

In  August  he  returned  from  Wales,  where  he  had  spent 
his  vacation,  with  some  unusual  anxiety  owing  to  the  ces- 
sation of  his  work  at  the  College  and  the  uncertainty  of 
his  prospects.  The  possibility  of  his  removal  to  London 
was  already  openly  discussed,  and  had  actually  led  to  an 
application  for  the  purchase  of  Park  Nook.  Even  if  he 
stayed  in  Liverpool,  the  reduction  in  his  income  seemed  to 
render  it  necessary  to  part  with  his  house,  for  he  felt  less 
and  less  inclined  to  resume  his  private  teaching.  Never- 
theless it  appears  that  at  this  time  he  had  almost  made  up 
his  mind  to  stop  the  movement  for  securing  his  appoint- 
ment to  a  professorship;  for  on  the  21st  of  August  his 
friend  R.  H.  Hutton  wrote  entreating  him  to  pause,  and 
laying  facts  before  him  which  promised  success.  The  with- 
drawal of  his  name  would  be  a  death-blow  to  the  efforts  to 
establish  a  chair  of  philosophy,  and  an  injury  to  the  public. 
"  I  am  strongly  convinced,"  says  Mr.  Hutton,  "  that  you 
would  do  better  to  keep  to  the  College,  than  in  any  other 
course,  as  far  as  mere  pursuit  is  concerned.  Not  that  I,  in 
the  least,  undervalue  your  strong  and  powerful  influence 
through  the  pulpit.  But  your  own  mind  evidently  turns 
so  strongly  to  philosophy;  and  more  than  that,  your  writ- 
ings will  be  for  all  time  on  these  subjects,  while  in  Liverpool 
your  influence  will  necessarily  bear  definite  proportion  to 

258 


1853]      ANXIETY  ABOUT  PROFESSORSHIP 

your  remaining  years  of  life.     I  am  clear  that  it  is  a  philo- 
sophical chair  to  which  your  own  convictions,  and  I  think, 
your  present  intellectual  tendencies,  and  I  firmly  believe  the 
public   good,    should    lead   you."      For    some   months    the 
uncertainty  continued,  and  as  late  as  December  26,  in  a  letter 
to  the  Rev.  W.  R.  Alger,  he  speaks  without  qualification  of 
the  termination  of  his  professorship.     A  few  days  after- 
wards, however,  on  December  29,  a  deputation  from  the 
College  Committee  called  on  him,  with  a  resolution,  unani- 
mously adopted,  requesting  him  to  give  a  course  of  Ethics 
in  London  during  the  current  Session ;    asking  for  an  im- 
mediate sketch  of  his  plan;    and  saying  that  about  £250 
was  at  their  disposal.     Mr.   R.    N.    Philips   emphatically 
asserted  that  nothing  but  financial  considerations  had  hin- 
dered   the   adoption,    at   the   first,    of   the   larger    scheme; 
expressed  the  utmost  confidence  in  the  future  resources  of 
the  College;    and  declared  that  the  acceptance  of  the  pro- 
posed provisional  arrangement  was  a  prerequisite  to  any 
successful  personal  canvass,   such   as  the   Committee  still 
contemplated.    Although  Mr.  Martineau  was  able  to  gather 
from  Mr.  Philips's  statement  that  the  best  feeling  prevailed 
in  the  Committee,  he  knew  that  there  was  an  adverse  party 
among  the  Trustees ;  and  he  was  anxious  to  be  assured  that 
this  party  should  not  be  so  strongly  represented  in  the  next 
year's  Committee  as  to  render  it  inexpedient  to  promise 
acceptance  of  more  than  a  temporary  engagement.     How- 
ever, he  speedily  made  up  his  mind  to  accept  the  invitation 
for  the  current  session;   and  on  December  31  he  wrote  to 
Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton  to  consult  him  about  his  scheme  of  work. 
The  later  remarks  relate  to  a  different  subject,  but  are  too 
interesting  to  be  omitted. 

Liverpool,  Dec.  31,  1853. 
.  .  .  And  now,  my  dear  Richard,  I  want  your  advice  respect- 
ing this  present  Session's  work ;    for  though   I  find  it  very 
hard  to  be  flung  without  notice  into  a  responsibility  which  I 
never  dreamt  of  assuming,  without  preparation,  I  hardly  think 

259 


HOPE    STREET  [1853 

it  right  to  refuse.  My  notion  is  to  spend  in  London  three  days 
every  alternate  week,  perhaps  beginning  with  first  Tuesday  in 
February.  I  have  asked  whether  the  Committee  can  obtain 
for  me  from  the  Council  of  the  Hall  the  grant  of  furnished 
chambers  in  the  Hall.  Then  as  to  Academical  Method,  it  ap- 
pears to  me  that  there  is  a  broad  distinction  between  the  wants 
of  undergraduates  and  those  of  the  advanced  students,  on  their 
way  to  their  M.A.  or  to  their  ministry.  For  the  former  the 
tutorial  reading  of  Butler  and  Paley,  with  sufficient  Prolego- 
mena and  critical  commentary  to  give  real  command  of  these 
books,  seems  to  me  the  proper  thing.  Examination,  analysis, 
and  conversation,  directed  to  excite  and  test  the  student's  own 
thought,  would  constitute  the  chief  business  of  such  a  class; 
which  would  have  no  attractions  except  for  the  intending  can- 
didate for  the  B.A.  degree.  It  is  to  the  other  and  higher  class 
alone  that  Lecturing  as  the  medium  of  systematic  and  synoptic 
teaching  seems  appropriate ;  and  I  feel  the  greatest  difficulty 
in  carving  out,  with  due  regard  to  what  is  possible  from  week 
to  week,  a  portion  of  my  subject  at  once  complete  in  itself  dur- 
ing the  Session  which  terminates  my  engagement,  yet  duly 
preparatory  for  future  courses,  should  they  be  demanded.  In 
order  to  avoid  needless  challenge  to  hostile  prejudice,  I  would 
fain  work  only  the  historical  and  critical  vein  at  first,  perhaps 
laying  down  first  the  great  lines  of  possible  thought  on  ethical 
topics;  and  then  resorting  to  historical  examples  and  devel- 
opments of  each,  making  them,  as  far  as  possible,  tell  their 
own  tale  by  mere  exposition  and  mutual  contrast  without  much 
critical  polemic,  though  with  no  shrinking,  of  course,  from 
plain  indication  of  one's  own  point  of  view.  Were  I  begin- 
ning entirely  dc  novo,  something  of  this  kind  would  perhaps 
be  the  right  thing.  How  far  it  would  consist  with  good  faith 
to  the  students  who  have  had  their  first  half  of  my  existing 
course,  and  to  whom  the  second  and  constructive  part  is  due, 
I  feel  some  doubt ;  nor  is  it  easy  to  reconcile  the  claims  of  the 
old  and  of  the  new  position.  You  know  from  experience  and 
present  observation  all  the  conditions  and  wants  of  the  per- 
sons and  places  ;  and  I  shall  feel  truly  grateful  for  your  opinion 
on  the  whole  subject.  I  had  thought  of  tivo  lectures  each  fort- 
night, —  one  on  the  Tuesday  and  the  other  on  the  Thursday ; 
and  perhaps  only  a  single  reading,  etc.,  with  the  undergradu- 
ates on  the  intervening  day,  giving  definite  references  in  both 
instances,  and  in  the  latter  case  requiring  these  to  be  read  in 
the  interval  of  my  visits,  and  examining  upon  them.  But  with- 
out a  vacation  to  prepare,  I  am  at  a  great  disadvantage,  and 

260 


X853]  REVIEW    OF    KINGSLEY 

am  frightened  at  the  extent  and  suddenness  of  the  undertak- 
ing; I  shall  hope  for  your  suggestions  before  I  send  in  my 
answer  in  full  to  the  Committee  and  they  press  me  for  an  im- 
mediate reply.  But  if  you  are  not  in  the  mood,  do  not  fret 
yourself  about  writing.  I  will  so  shape  my  reply  as  to  leave 
room  for  the  application  of  your  experience  and  judgment 
whenever  they  are  before  me.  It  was  an  exceeding  comfort 
to  me  that  you  were  in  any  way  satisfied  with  the  notice  of 
Mr.  Newman's  new  Chapter;  as  the  task  had  unusually  sad- 
dened and  oppressed  me  with  a  sense  of  its  responsibility  and 
its  intangible  nature.  Among  the  things  which,  once  spoken, 
it  is  impossible  ever  to  counteract,  low  interpretations  of  what 
is  most  beautiful  and  divine  stand  foremost ;  and  where  the 
historic  ground  is  so  little  firm  beneath  the  foot  of  detailed  and 
special  criticism,  the  controversy  runs  into  a  mere  unsatisfy- 
ing rivalry  of  subjective  impressions.  I  have  no  doubt  New- 
man thinks  me  just  as  arbitrary  in  moral  criticism  as  I  think 
him ;  and  as  for  readers  on  either  side,  it  is  always  easier,  I 
fear,  to  fling  a  shade  upon  the  thought  than  to  restore  the 
light. 

Ever  your  affectionate 

James  IMartineau. 

Notwithstanding  these  distractions  his  pen  had  not  lost 
its  fertility.  The  first  number  of  the  "  Prospective  "  for 
1853  contained  a  review  of  Kingsley's  "Phaethon;  or, 
Loose  Thoughts  for  Loose  Thinkers."  ^  Li  this,  while 
paying  high  honour  to  the  humane  heart,  the  devout  faith, 
and  the  artistic  power  of  the  writer,  he  shows  that  his 
thoughts  are  indeed  extremely  "  loose."  His  estimate, 
which  is  justified  in  detail,  may  be  summed  up  in  a  sentence : 
"  More  charming  painting  and  more  miserable  reasoning, 
better  dialogue  and  worse  dialectic,  so  strong  a  flavour  of 
good  English  sentiment  and  so  faint  a  trace  of  any  Hellenic 
thought,  it  would  be  difficult  to  find  within  the  compass  of 
a  hundred  pages,  professing  to  take  their  inspiration  from 
the  school  of  Athens." 


^  Reprinted  in  "Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological  "  (2d  series),  and  in 
Essays,  II. 

261 


HOPE    STREET  [1853 

A  long  review  of  Bunsen's  "  Ilippolytus  and  his  Age,"  ^ 
under  the  title  of  "  Early  Christianity,  its  Creed  and 
Heresies,"  throws  some  light  on  the  growth  of  his  opinions. 
He  speaks  of  Baur  as  "  perhaps  the  greatest  of  living 
historical  critics."  Nevertheless,  having  described  the 
Tiibingen  theory,  he  does  not  commit  himself  to  all  its  con- 
clusions. He  refers  especially  to  the  Epistle  to  the  Phi- 
lippians,  the  authenticity  of  which,  he  thinks,  is  questioned 
"  on  very  inadequate  grounds  "  ;  and  he  adds :  "  In  this,  as 
in  many  other  details  of  the  hypothetical  history,  there  is 
not  a  little  of  that  straining  of  real  evidence  and  subtle 
fabrication  of  unreal,  which  German  criticism  seems  unable 
to  avoid."  He  agrees  with  Baur  against  Bunsen,  in  assign- 
ing the  authorship  of  the  Philosophumena  to  the  Presbyter 
Caius  instead  of  Hippolytus,  though  he  thinks  the  evi- 
dence is  very  nearly  balanced.  He  rejects  the  Johannine 
authorship  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  and  is  of  opinion  that  the 
question  is  wholly  unaffected  by  the  newly  discovered  work. 
He  is  confident  that  the  Apocalypse  and  the  Gospel  cannot 
be  from  the  same  author,  and  that  the  former  "  is  incom- 
parably better  authenticated  " ;  and  thinks  that  the  Quarto- 
declman  Controversy  could  not  have  lived  a  day  among  a 
people  possessing  and  acknowledging  John's  Gospel.  If 
some  of  these  judgments  appear  to  be  rather  hasty,  and  to 
overlook  important  items  of  evidence,  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  these  critical  inquiries  lay  outside  of  his  profes- 
sorial work,  that  the  minute  investigation  of  such  points 
is  slow  and  tedious,  and  that,  amid  his  multifarious  duties, 
it  is  wonderful  that  he  found  time  to  make  himself  so 
familiar  with  early  Christian  history  and  with  the  most 
suggestive  treatises  respecting  it.  He  points  out  with  great 
force   the   evidence   afforded   by    the    Philosophumena   of 


1  Reprinted  in  "Studies  of  Christianity,"  originally  in  the  "Westminster 
Review"  for  April,  1853. 

262 


1854]  UNIVERSITY    HALL 

growth  in  the  theology  of  the  Church ;  and  dwells  on  some 
other  valuable  thoughts,  with  which,  in  other  forms,  we 
have  already  become  acquainted. 

We  have  before  noticed  his  review  of  the  second  edition 
of  Newman's  "  Phases  of  Faith  " ;  and  we  can  only  refer 
at  present  to  an  essay  on  "  Sir  W.  Hamilton's  Philosophy  " 
in  the  "  Prospective  Review."  ^ 

On  Tuesday,  Feb.  7,  1854,  he  delivered  his  inaugural 
lecture  at  University  Hall  to  a  full  audience.  The  appro- 
priate subject  was  a  "  Plea  for  Philosophical  Studies."  ^ 
University  Hall  was  pleasantly  situated  in  Gordon  Square, 
and,  by  means  of  a  passage  at  the  rear,  was  in  close  prox- 
imity to  University  College.  At  the  back  of  the  building, 
on  the  ground  floor,  was  a  large  dining-hall,  which  was 
used  for  meetings  on  public  occasions.  Beneath  the  window 
at  the  end  of  the  hall  there  was,  at  this  time,  a  small  organ, 
belonging  to  the  Principal,  Dr.  Carpenter.  In  front  of  the 
organ  was  a  movable  pulpit,  from  which  the  Professors 
delivered  their  public  addresses,  and  the  students  of  the 
College  read  their  sermons  and  orations.  Above  the  hall 
was  a  lofty  room,  with  a  gallery,  which  contained  the  Col- 
lege library,  and  was  appropriated  to  College  use.  In  front 
of  this,  facing  the  square,  was  a  spacious  room  where  most 
of  the  lectures  were  given,  and  where  was  a  smaller  library 
belonging  to  University  Hall.  It  was  here,  or  in  the  College 
library,  that  Mr.  Martineau  lectured  for  the  next  thirty 
years.  The  arrangement  was  that  he  was  to  visit  London 
once  a  fortnight.  On  Tuesday  he  delivered  four  lectures, 
and  on  Wednesday  two,  and  then  returned  to  Liverpool  by 
the  5  p.  M.  train,  which  at  that  time  spent  six  hours  on  the 
journey.  He  felt  that  the  writing  of  his  lectures,  now  much 
enlarged,  put  the  utmost  strain  upon  his  industry. 


1  Reprinted  in  "Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological"  (2d  series),  and  in 
Essays,  III. 

2  Reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological,"  and  in  Essays,  IV. 

263 


HOPE    STREET  [1854 

In  the  course  of  this  year  he  experienced  a  good  deal  of 
annoyance  from  the  course  of  affairs  connected  with  the 
"  Westminster  Review."  He  had  been  growing  dissatis- 
fied with  the  management,  and  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  R.  H. 
Hutton,  July  3,  1854,  he  complains  that  Chapman  is  making 
it  "  the  organ  of  his  own  egotism,  and  ever  shifting  thought, 
and  not  the  expression  of  any  consolidated  and  influential 
body  of  competent  and  consistent  opinion."  It  is  not  neces- 
sary now  to  go  into  all  the  complications  by  which  Mr. 
Martineau  was  distressed,  and  considered  himself  unjustly 
treated.  It  will  be  sufficient  to  give  his  own  account  in  the 
Biographical  Memoranda,  premising  only  that  this  has 
been  checked  by  contemporary  letters,  and  that  the  opening 
sentence  refers  to  the  "  Prospective  Review." 

"  From  the  known  opinions  of  the  Editors,  this  '  Review ' 
has  often  been  regarded  as  an  organ  of  the  Unitarians,  not- 
withstanding its  own  disclaimer,  at  the  outset,  of  any  such 
character.  In  one  sense,  —  and  that  a  most  important  one,  — 
its  aim  might  be  more  correctly  described  as  anti-Unitarian ; 
for  the  great  object  of  its  conductors  was  to  prevent  the  course 
of  liberal  theology  from  slipping  into  the  rut  of  any  Unitarian 
or  other  sect,  and  to  treat  its  whole  contents  and  all  cognate 
topics  with  philosophical  and  historical  impartiality,  apart  from 
all  ecclesiastical  or  party  interests.  And,  in  point  of  fact,  this 
breadth  of  purpose,  while  securing  it  some  circulation  and 
marked  respect  among  studious  persons  in  various  connections, 
caused  it  to  be  coldly  looked  upon  by  the  very  people  it  was 
supposed  to  represent.  This  relative  incidence  of  public  favour 
led  to  proposals,  in  1853-1854,  to  merge  it  in  the  *  Westminster 
Review,'  which  included  much  of  the  same  ground ;  but,  in- 
stead of  this,  to  the  expansion  of  the  '  Prospective '  into  the 
'  National  Review,'  —  a  separate  large  Quarterly,  embracing 
the  field  of  Literature  and  Politics,  in  addition  to  the  scope 
of  its  predecessor.  This  move  was  preferred,  because  the  tone 
of  the  *  Westminster '  was  becoming  more  and  more  uncon- 
genial with  the  philosophical  and  religious  convictions  of  the 
Editors  of  the  '  Prospective,'  and  they  could  not,  with  satisfac- 
tion, surrender  their  function,  and  transfer  their  own  literary 
work,  into  hands  that  often,  indeed,  gave  valuable  help  to  their 
main  objects,  but  often  also  visited  them  with  slight  or  injury. 

264 


1854]     THE   "WESTMINSTER    REVIEW" 

"At  one  moment,  indeed,  a  possibility  seemed  to  present  itself 
of  an  amalgamation  of  the  two  periodicals.  In  the  autumn 
[summer]  of  1854,  the  proprietor  and  publisher  of  the  '  West- 
minster '  became  insolvent,  and  the  '  Review  '  —  the  most  im- 
portant of  his  assets  —  passed,  with  the  rest  of  the  estate, 
to  the  disposal  of  the  creditors.  Had  it  come  into  the  market, 
and  its  value  been  tested  by  the  oflfer  of  sale,  a  bid  for  it  would 
have  been  made  by  the  proprietors  of  the  '  Prospective  '  with 
tolerable  certainty  of  considerable  increase  to  the  dividend. 
With  other  of  the  creditors,  I  was  of  opinion  that  this  regular 
course  ought  to  be  followed.  Receiving,  however,  no  notice 
till  the  3d  of  August,  of  the  creditors'  meeting  at  ii  a.  m.  on 
the  following  day,  we,  who  lived  from  two  hundred  to  four 
hundred  miles  off,  had  no  opportunity  of  taking  part  in  the 
proceedings.  A  balance  sheet  was  laid  before  the  local  attend- 
ants, from  which  the  '  Westminster  Review  '  was  omitted ; 
and,  to  induce  the  creditors  to  forego  all  claim  upon  it  and 
leave  it  in  the  publisher's  hands,  a  personal  guarantee  was 
offered  of  a  definite  composition  by  a  friend  whose  security 
was  perfect.  The  meeting  closed  with  this  proposal;  but  we 
absentees,  disapproving  of  the  management  which  had  been 
resorted  to,  declined  to  accept  the  composition,  unless  a  second 
meeting  were  called  at  which  a  vote  should  be  taken  after  com- 
plete valuation  of  the  assets.  Instead  of  conceding  this  reason- 
able demand,  the  publisher's  wealthy  patron  set  himself  to  buy 
off  the  dissentients  by  payment  in  full  of  their  claim  on  the 
estate.  I  refused  to  listen  to  such  proposals;  but  I  was  left 
alone ;  and,  as  my  debt  did  not  warrant  me  in  taking  more  than 
a  secondary  part,  I  gave  no  further  expression  to  my  dissent 
than  by  declining  to  accept  any  share  in  the  composition,  when 
it  came  to  be  distributed.  Some  years  after,  when  the  insolvent 
pressed  for  my  signature  to  his  discharge,  I  qualified  myself 
for  duly  giving  it,  by  receiving  in  exchange  his  surrender  of 
the  copyright  of  articles  which  I  had  contributed  to  the  '  Re- 
view '  during  his  proprietorship.  On  this  simple  story  various 
fictions  were  grafted  at  the  time ;  were  it  not  that  they  are 
still  reproduced,  the  transactions  would  not  be  worth  recording. 
They  explain,  however,  the  mode  of  transition  from  the  '  Pro- 
spective '  to  the  *  National  Review.'  " 

His  essay  on  "  Lessing's  Theology  and  Times,"  ^  in  the 
August  number  of  the  "  Prospective  Review,"  was  written 


1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  I. 

265 


HOPE    STREET  [1854 

under  pressure,  and  is  described  by  himself  as  "  full  of  faults 
of  all  sorts."  ^  It  is  nevertheless  a  very  luminous  and  inter- 
esting description  of  Lessing's  position  in  the  v^^orld  of 
thought,  and  especially  of  his  contributions  to  theological 
opinion.  His  review,  in  the  November  number  of  the  "  Pro- 
spective," of  Kingsley's  "  Alexandria  and  her  Schools,"  ^ 
described  by  himself  as  "  desultory  remarks  on  a  desultory 
book,"  is  too  brief  to  admit  of  more  than  some  suggestive 
criticisms.  While  granting  that  there  is  a  striking  "  anal- 
ogy between  the  Neoplatonic  period  of  the  declining  empire 
and  the  intellectual  tendencies  of  the  present  age,"  he  points 
out  that  there  are  no  less  striking  contrasts  which  may 
justify  the  expectation  of  a  happier  future.  Especially  does 
he  dwell  on  the  opposite  views  of  God  taken  by  pagan  phi- 
losophy and  by  Christian  piety.  "  We  have  often  thought," 
he  says,  "  that  the  doctrine  of  the  incarnation  may  have  been 
an  indispensable  means  of  guarding  the  Church  from  this 
most  pestilent  delusion  of  philosophy,  —  that,  to  be  divine,  a 
nature  must  not  feel.  So  long  as  the  voluntary  adoption  of 
a  human  life  by  the  Divine  Logos  is  the  object  of  affection- 
ate faith,  the  disciple  is  at  least  secure  against  the  doubt 
whether  there  can  be  care  and  tenderness  for  him  in  heaven." 
To  the  same  year  belongs  a  very  suggestive  essay  on 
"  Distinctive  Types  of  Christianity,"  ^  which  was  designed 
to  prepare  the  way  for  a  series  of  articles  on  the  sects  and 
types  of  religion  in  England.  Having  stated  that  there  is 
a  correspondence  between  the  mood  of  mind  and  the  form 
of  belief,  he  finds  four  chief  temperaments  of  mind,  "  the 
quest  of  physical  order,  the  sense  of  right,  the  instinct  of 
beauty,  and  the  consciousness  of  tempestuous  impulses 
carrying  the  will  off  its  feet."    If  these  severally  acted  alone, 


1  In  a  letter  to  R.  H.  Hutton,  of  July  24. 

^  Reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological "  (2d  series),  and  in 
Essays,  II. 

^  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity." 

266 


1854]      "TYPES    OF    CHRISTIANITY" 

"  the  doctrine  of  mere  Science  would  be  atheistic;  of  Con- 
science, theistic;  of  Art,  pantheistic;  of  Passion,  sacriUcial." 
The  scientific  tendency  has  never  been  provided  for  within 
the  interior  of  Christianity,  and  it  is  a  task  remaining  for 
the  future  to  reconcile  the  opponent  influences  through  the 
mediation  of  some  more  comprehensive  conception.  The 
other  tendencies  were  supplied  by  the  genius  of  the  three 
peoples  who  met  in  the  early  Church;  the  Hebrew  believer 
contributing  his  theistic  conscience;  the  Hellenic,  his  pan- 
theistic speculation;  the  Romanic,  his  passionate  appropri- 
ation of  redemption  by  faith.  In  the  Catholic  system  these 
are  united,  and  hence  the  tenacity  with  which  it  keeps  pos- 
session of  the  most  various  types  of  human  character.  The 
Reformation  on  the  continent  was  founded  on  the  element 
of  passion;  and  accordingly,  when  it  had  taken  up  and 
exhausted  the  class  of  minds  to  which  it  was  specially 
adapted,  it  found  itself  arrested.  The  moral  sentiment  re- 
volted, and  the  succeeding  century  became  the  period  of 
ethical  philosophy.  But  this  gospel  of  conscience  was  still 
defective.  It  concentrated  the  perfections  of  God  too  much 
in  the  notion  of  his  Will;  and  it  was  necessary  to  regard 
him  "  as  having,  around  this  moral  centre,  an  infinite  atmos- 
phere of  creative  thought  and  affection,  which,  like  the 
native  inspirations  of  a  pure  and  sublime  human  soul,  spon- 
taneously flow  out  in  forms  of  beauty,  and  movements  of 
rhythm,  and  a  thousand  aspects  of  divine  expression."  It 
is  the  want  of  this  element  that  has  reduced  Protestantism 
to  its  state  of  weakness  and  discredit,  and  German  pan- 
theism is  seeking  its  recovery.  This  pantheism  must  have 
its  place  in  Christian  truth,  and  settle  its  account  with  ethics 
by  a  partition  of  territory :  "  Let  Christian  Theism  keep 
Morals,  and  Pantheism  may  have  Nature."  Thus  the 
Church  will  "  complete  its  triad  of  Faith,  Holiness,  and 
Beauty."  The  article  concludes  with  a  survey  of  the  his- 
torical events  which  led  to  the  embodiment  in  the  High 

262, 


HOPE    STREET  [1854 

Church  of  that  national  sentiment  by  which  the  Reformation 
in  this  country  was  distinguished,  as  compared  with  the 
cosmopolitan  character  which  it  assumed  on  the  continent. 

On  the  29th  of  December  he  preached  at  Huddersfield, 
on  occasion  of  the  opening  of  a  new  Chapel.  The  sermon 
is  called  "  Life  according  to  the  Pattern  in  the  Heavens,"  ^ 
and  is  founded  on  the  direction  given  to  Moses  to  make  the 
tabernacle  according  to  the  pattern  shown  him  on  the  Mount 
(Hebrews  viii.  5).  From  this  he  draws  the  lesson  that 
*'  human  worship  is  the  lowly  representation,  the  image  re- 
fracted through  our  atmosphere  and  its  sad  rain,  of  Divine 
Realities."  Religion  is  a  surrender  of  oneself  to  a  Presence 
real  and  everlasting.  Direct  worship  is  a  conscious  con- 
formity to  a  pattern  in  the  Heavens.  But  all  life,  so  far  as 
it  is  good  and  holy,  is  an  approximation  to  a  Divine  image ; 
and  even  unconscious  nature  aims  at  a  type  which  is  never 
fully  realised,  "  so  that  the  whole  visible  creation  is  an  imi- 
tation of  the  invisible,  a  copy  from  a  higher  pattern  in  the 
heavens,  a  drifting  of  the  material  and  earthly  towards  the 
spiritual  and  divine."  Referring  to  the  special  object  of 
the  new  place  of  worship,  he  says :  "The  Soul  of  Christ,  the 
sinless,  risen,  and  immortal,  is  the  pattern  shown  to  us; 
shown  first  upon  the  field  of  history,  and  on  the  paths  of 
this  living  world,  and  then  taken  to  the  heavens,  to  look 
down  thence  on  the  uplifted  eye  of  faith  and  love  through 
successive  generations," 

The  last  number  of  the  "  Prospective  Review  "  appeared 
in  February,  and  the  first  number  of  "  The  National  Re- 
view," by  which  it  was  superseded,  in  July,  1855.  It  is  not 
necessary  to  record  in  detail  the  negotiations  which  led  to 
this  larger  enterprise.  The  general  course  of  events  has 
already  been  related;  and  the  following  letter  to  the  Rev. 
Charles  Wicksteed  will  give  sufficient  completeness  to  the 
story :  — 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

268 


X855]  "NATIONAL    REVIEW" 

LIVERPOOI,,  Feb.  i8,  1S55. 

My  dear  Wicksteed,  —  It  is  a  pleasant  thinf^  to  see  your 
handwriting  again,  and  in  the  old  "  Prospective  "  interest  too. 
I  should  have  sooner  told  you  so,  but  for  a  sharp  attack  of 
seasonal  cold,  which  has  confined  me  to  my  room  a  few  days, 
and  prevented  my  preaching  to-day.  I  have  just  written  fully 
to  Thorn,  and  told  him  all  about  "  Review  "  matters.  But  for 
your  private  satisfaction,  —  or  dissatisfaction,  —  I  may  say, 
that  the  various  vicissitudes  which  obliged  us  to  bring  out  the 
February  number,  and  may  possibly  constrain  us  to  do  the 
same  in  May,  have  not  induced  any  abandonment  of  the  larger 
scheme.  This  scheme  has  been  under  consideration  in  three 
successive  forms.  First,  when  Chapman's  failure  seemed  cer- 
tain to  throw  the  "  Westminster  "  into  the  market,  a  fund  was 
raised  to  provide  against  its  surrender  to  the  mere  lottery  of  a 
Trade-auction,  and  to  secure  it  as  the  organ  of  a  serious  but 
free  theology,  and  an  English  historical  liberalism  in  politics. 
The  "  Westminster  "  was  saved  from  the  hammer ;  but  only  to 
be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  a  Comtist  coterie,  and  to  suflfer 
the  defection  of  a  whole  group  of  its  most  reliable  contributors. 
So  next,  having  both  staff  and  funds  in  readiness,  and  in  the 
opinion  of  experienced  publishers,  an  open  field  of  unrepre- 
sented feeling  and  opinion  between  the  heavy  Whiggism  and 
decorous  Church-latitude  of  the  Edinburgh  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  atheistic  tendency  and  Refugee-politics  of  the  "  West- 
minster" on  the  other,  —  we  proposed  to  start  "  The  National 
Review,"  of  which  I  enclose  a  Prospectus.  W.  R.  Greg  un- 
dertook to  be  Editor,  and  all  was  ready  for  announcement ; 
when  through  certain  misunderstandings  or  mismanagements 
Greg  lost  his  publishers,  and  fearing  to  compromise  his  rela- 
tions with  the  Edinburgh,  had  not  spirit  to  begin  again  with 
new  people,  and  retired.  His  lavish  notions  had  rather  alarmed 
us,  —  and  indeed  himself ;  for  on  quitting  the  field  he  advised 
us  to  take  up  a  more  moderate  scheme,  —  involving  less  outlay 
and  requiring  smaller  returns.  So  now,  in  the  third  place,  we 
revert  to  what  in  truth  was  our  notion  till  Greg  came  in :  a 
4/ :  Review,  of  about  200  pages,  — name  as  yet  undetermined; 
Editor  (with  aid)  R.  H.  H.  [Hutton]  at  a  salary;  contributors 
partly  volunteers,  partly  paid  on  a  certain  graduated  scale ; 
the  whole  expense  such  as  to  be  balanced  by  a  sale  of  1250. 

Affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 
269 


HOPE    STREET  [1855 

On  Thursda}',  the  22d  of  June,  the  Provincial  Assembly 
of  Lancashire  and  Cheshire  met  at  Renshaw  Street  Chapel, 
and  Mr.  Martineau  proposed  a  resolution,  that  a  committee 
should  be  appointed  to  prepare  a  plan  by  which  the  right 
of  voting  should  be  defined,  and  congregations  should  have 
the  power  of  expressing  their  opinions  through  lay  repre- 
sentatives. This  was  carried  unanimously.  In  a  speech 
delivered  later  in  the  day,  on  the  sentiment  of  "  Our 
Country,  its  Free  Institutions  and  Beneficent  Progress,"  he 
declared  that  he  was  indebted  to  France  for  very  little  else 
than  the  honour  and  credit  of  being  an  Englishman,  de- 
scended as  he  was  from  a  family  that  was  driven  by  per- 
secution from  the  shores  of  France.  He  did  not  hesitate 
to  pronounce  himself  emphatically,  almost  bigotedly,  an 
Englishman.  This  prepared  the  way  for  a  vindication  of 
the  more  special  and  limited  affections  involved  in  love  of 
one's  country ;  and  this  topic  led  easily  to  a  subject  of  which 
men's  minds  were  full,  —  the  war  with  Russia.  He  denied, 
on  behalf  of  his  country,  that  there  was  the  infuriate  hate 
which  was  usually  imputed  to  nations  in  a  state  of  war. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  war  had  put  an  end  to  petty  party 
squabbles,  and  restored  the  unity  of  the  nation ;  and  it  had 
drawn  them  into  alliance  with  a  nation  towards  whom  they 
had  entertained  the  bitterest  prejudices.  It  was  gradually 
dawning  on  them  that  it  was  committed  to  them  as  a  duty 
to  defend  the  advancing  and  progressive  liberties  of  Western 
civilisation,  against  the  torpid,  barbaric,  and  crushing  des- 
potisms which  encroached  upon  us  from  Asia.  "  At  the 
same  time,"  he  added,  "  every  trust  of  that  nature,  of  a 
more  limited  kind,  is  ever  held  in  reserve,  and  under  alle- 
giance to  the  common  and  universal  law  of  God,  and  it  is 
because  we  cannot  but  see  that  that  law  has  been  offended, 
because  we  are  convinced  that  the  advance  of  the  power  to 
which  I  have  alluded  would  delay  the  triumph  of  that  law, 
not  because  we  claim  everything  for  ourselves  or  from  our- 

270 


1855]       "INTERNATIONAL    DUTIES" 

selves  —  it  is  on  that  account  alone  that  we  have  stepped 
into  this  dispute."  Our  physical  force  must  be  held  in 
trust,  and  "  as  we  wield  that  force  in  the  case  of  the  police- 
man to  control  the  disturbers  of  society  at  home,  so  we  are 
bound  to  wield  it  equally  in  the  case  of  the  police  of  nations, 
in  preserving  the  laws  of  international  right,"  ^ 

The  same  subject  is  pursued  in  an  elaborate  article  on 
''International  Duties  and  the  Present  Crisis,"  in  the  first 
number  of  the  "  National  Review."  ^  He  assumes  that  the 
relations  and  conduct  of  States  are  amenable  to  the  same 
moral  law  that  has  authority  over  the  life  of  individuals. 
From  lack  of  recognition  of  this  there  is  an  utter  want  of 
any  coherent  principles  of  political  judgment.  Even  states- 
men speak  of  "  going  to  war  in  order  to  obtain  a  peace," 
whereas  not  Peace,  but  Right,  is  the  proper  aim  of  war. 
The  separation  of  religion  from  politics  is  due  to  the  an- 
tithesis set  up  by  the  Reformers  between  Law  and  Gospel, 
which  removed  from  the  State  whatever  was  sacred,  and 
from  the  Church  whatever  was  human;  and  also  to  the 
individualism  which  was  encouraged  by  the  Protestant 
creed.  The  organism  of  the  world's  life,  however,  is  made 
up,  not  of  individuals,  but  of  nations ;  and  it  is  not  a  mere 
fiction  of  jurists  that  deals  with  States  as  persons.  States, 
therefore,  have  duties  to  discharge,  and  trusts  to  protect, 
which  must  be  defined  by  the  same  considerations  that  are 
valid  for  individuals.  Accordingly,  they  cannot  escape  the 
duty  of  protecting  others,  and  it  is  selfishness  for  them  to 
withdraw  from  the  ferment  of  humanity  and  care  for 
nothing  but  security  and  gain.  These  principles  are  then 
applied  to  the  war  with  Russia,  in  which  our  adversary  is 
painted  in  the  blackest  colours.  He  concludes  that  the 
object  of  the  war  "  is  to  take  from  Russia  the  power  of  fur- 
ther aggrandisement,  and  the  disposition  to  further  menace. 

^  From  the  report  in  "  The  Inquirer,"  June  30,  1855. 
2  Reprinted  in  Essays,  I. 

271 


HOPE    STREET  [1856 

To  keep  this  one  end  steadily  in  view,  to  rest  in  nothing 
short  of  it,  to  be  tempted  into  nothing  beyond  it,  appears 
to  ns  the  true  duty  of  this  country."  As  practical  measures 
he  thinks  that  Poland  and  Hungary  should  be  reconstituted, 
and  reparation  be  thus  made  for  our  guilty  neglect,  and 
that  the  Crimea  should  be  given  to  Sardinia,  at  that  time 
the  most  powerful  of  the  Italian  States. 

This  was  followed,  in  the  succeeding  January,  by  an 
article  on  "  Foreign  Policy  for  1856."  By  this  time  Sebas- 
topol  had  fallen,  and,  so  far  as  her  military  resources  were 
concerned,  England  was  prepared  to  carry  on  the  war  with 
increased  vigour.  But  for  some  time  there  had  been  a  lull 
in  the  operations  of  the  armies,  and  the  allied  powers  were 
not  united  in  the  determination  to  accomplish  a  clearly 
defined  policy.  In  these  circumstances  Mr.  Martineau 
wrote  strongly  in  support  of  a  vigorous  prosecution  of  the 
war,  especially  by  a  campaign  in  Poland,  which  he  thought 
ought  to  be  reinstated  as  a  barrier  against  the  encroach- 
ments of  Russia.  A  miserable  doubt,  however,  had  settled 
on  the  country,  whether  we  had  public  men  in  whose  hands 
the  character  of  England  and  the  interests  of  Europe  were 
safe.  Statesmen  had  ceased  to  lead,  and  had  no  faith  in 
themselves.  It  was  their  business,  not  only  to  carry  out  the 
national  will,  but  to  react  on  the  popular  sentiment,  and 
mould  the  very  opinions  which  they  obeyed.  Over  the 
greater  part  of  Europe  two  phenomena  had  become  apparent 
in  the  previous  quarter  of  a  century,  —  the  dependence  of 
social  order  on  great  armies,  and  the  increasing  power  of 
organised  priesthoods.  "  The  Genius  of  supernatural  pre- 
tension and  the  twin  Giant  of  material  force  recognise  each 
other,  and  advance  to  the  greeting,  across  the  noble  field 
of  the  healthful  natural  life;  spoiling  beneath  their  tread 
the  free  strolling-grounds  of  happier  years,  and  driving 
the  herd  of  frightened  nations  to  be  crushed  between  their 
embrace."    Of  these  tendencies  Rjiissia  was  the  incarnation, 

272 


1855]  "ST.  PAUL" 

whereas  our  life  as  a  nation  was  bound  up  with  that  free 
worship,  free  discussion,  free  teaching,  free  commerce, 
which  elsewhere  were  objects  of  official  consternation. 
Thus  we  had  a  trust  to  be  guarded  for  the  world ;  and  peace 
would  be  unsatisfactory,  because  arresting  us  in  a  European 
duty  on  the  eve  of  its  most  effectual  performance. 

Between  these  political  articles  there  appeared,  in  the 
October  number  of  the  "  National,"  a  Review  of  the  Life 
and  Epistles  of  St.  Paul  by  Conybeare  and  Howson,  and 
of  the  Commentaries  on  the  Epistles  by  Stanley  and  by 
Jov/ett.^  This  review  must  take  the  place  of  the  sermons 
on  St.  Paul  which  he  decided  to  withhold  from  the  public; 
and  it  is  too  full  of  rnaterial  for  us  to  attempt  here  to  enter 
into  detail.  After  characterising  the  three  works  which 
gave  occasion  to  the  article  he  traces  the  historical  progress 
from  Jewish  narrowness  to  Christian  universalism,  which 
found  its  full  expression  and  ablest  advocate  in  St.  Paul. 
Basing  his  judgment  on  the  account  in  Galatians,  he  says 
it  is  "  certain  that  the  biography,  the  discourses,  the  human 
personality  of  Jesus,  were  indifferent  to  him,"  and  that  the 
"  twelve  were  probably  much  nearer  to  Gamaliel  than  to 
Paul."  He  denies  the  existence  of  development  in  the 
Apostle's  doctrine  and  admits  only  such  modifications  as 
were  adapted  to  the  altered  pressures  of  the  hour.  The 
error  connected  with  the  expectation  of  Christ's  return 
suggests  some  valuable  remarks.  It  is  the  infirmity  of 
human  nature  to  translate  eternal  truth  into  forms  of  time. 
"  Vision  for  faith ;  prevision  for  science :  —  this  seems  to  be 
the  inviolable  allotment  of  gifts  by  the  Father  of  lights. 
.  .  .  The  deepest  spiritual  insight  is  ineffectual  to  teach  past 
history;  it  is  equally  so  to  teach  ftiture  history.  The  mo- 
ment you  lose  sight  of  this  fact,  and  expect  the  sons  of  God 


1  This  article,  which  in  the  "Review"  is  entitled  simply  "St.  Paul,"  is 
reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity,"  under  the  title  "  St.  Paul  and  his  Modern 
Students." 

i8  273 


HOPE    STREET  [1855 

to  predict  for  you,  you  confound  inspiration  with  divination, 
and  will  pay  the  douhle  penalty  of  missing  the  truth  they 
have,  and  being  disappointed  at  that  which  they  have  not." 
Having  exhibited  the  influence  of  the  Apostle's  "  antique 
realism  "  on  many  of  his  doctrines  and  reasonings,  he  con- 
cludes by  asking,  what  is  the  significance  and  value  of  St. 
Paul's  teaching  for  us?  It  consists  in  the  quickening  of  our 
vision,  an  awakening  of  profounder  insight  into  divine  rela- 
tions, just  as,  in  a  great  work  of  art,  "  the  representation 
may  be  immortal,  when  the  thing  represented  has  long  been 
historical." 

For  some  time  the  action  of  Mr.  Dunn,  the  secretary  of 
the  British  and  Foreign  School  Society,  had  excited  great 
dissatisfaction  among  the  Unitarians,  who  considered  his 
policy  to  be  a  violation  of  the  unsectarian  principles  on 
which  the  society  was  founded.  There  began  to  be  some 
talk  of  an  appeal  to  the  Court  of  Chancery,  if  all  remon- 
strance proved  unavailing;  and  in  order  to  provide  for  any 
action  that  might  be  required,  a  very  large  and  represen- 
tative meeting  of  Unitarians  was  held  in  Birmingham  on 
Tuesday,  the  30th  of  October,  1855,  when  resolutions  were 
passed,  protesting  against  the  perversion  of  the  primary 
object  of  the  society;  representing  that  perversion  as  a 
public  wrong,  which  it  was  incumbent  on  the  body  imme- 
diately affected  to  repel  by  all  lawful  means  which  were 
practicable;  and  appointing  a  committee  to  consider  and 
adopt  the  best  means  of  carrying  out  the  resolutions  of  the 
meeting.  The  proceedings  at  this  meeting  were  not  re- 
ported. Mr.  Martineau's  views  are  fully  expressed  in  the 
following  letter  to  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton :  — 

Liverpool,  Nov.  i,  1855. 

My  dear  Richard,  —  You  will  think  me  quite  faithless,  I 
fear,  to  my  London  arrangements.  The  fact  is,  this  Birming- 
ham affair  became  a  serious  weight  on  my  conscience  as  the 
time  drew  near  and  I  reflected  more  on  its  complicated  bear- 

274 


X855]  THE    SCHOOL    SOCIETY 

ings.  I  thoug-ht,  and  was  told  all  round,  that  I  ought  to  go; 
so  I  altered  my  classes  to  the  Monday  in  order  to  be  present. 
After  more  struggle  and  anxiety  than  I  can  report,  the  way 
seemed  at  length  to  clear  before  me ;  and  I  found  myself  con- 
strained to  oppose  the  course  which  the  meeting  has  sanctioned. 
.  .  .  The  experiment  of  Education  of  sects  in  common  was,  I 
think,  very  properly  tried  on  the  biblical  basis,  protected  by 
absence  of  comment.  Though  favoured  by  the  then  prevalent 
reliance  on  any,  even  mere  physical  contact  with  the  "  word  of 
God  "  and  by  the  indefinite  formulas  of  a  once  common  the- 
ology, and  by  the  unbroken  habit  of  common  action  among  all 
Dissenters,  the  experiment  failed,  —  chiefly  by  the  inability  of 
the  Unitarians,  as  their  distinctive  theology  disengaged  itself 
and  they  became  a  separate  body  in  society,  to  bear  any  longer 
with  clear  conscience  the  vague  language  of  orthodox  com- 
plexion which,  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  they  permitted 
coadjutors  to  use  and  used  pretty  freely  themselves.  They 
never  objected  then  (as  I  can  myself  distinctly  remember)  to 
what  we  should  now  call  orthodox  teaching  in  the  Lancasterian 
schools;  and  I  believe  that  the  change  which  has  taken  place 
is  more  in  our  sensitiveness  than  in  the  facts  of  the  case ; 
though  doubtless  all  theologies  have  assumed  a  more  discrim- 
inated form,  and  out  of  their  undeveloped  expression  have 
diverged  in  various  directions.  The  z'crhal  rules  of  the  So- 
ciety, applied  to  the  present  state  of  England,  certainly  con- 
demn the  present  management ;  chiefly,  however,  because  it 
has  not  adapted  itself  to  the  enlarged  state  of  denominational 
facts,  but  gone  out  in  the  old  course  amid  new  conditions.  It 
must  be  remembered  that,  though  there  were  individual  Uni- 
tarians, there  was  no  religious  denomination  of  Unitarians 
when  these  rules  were  formed ;  and  the  dififerences  which 
were  in  contemplation  to  bar  out  were  those  between  Quaker 
and  Methodist,  Baptist  Independent  and  Presbyterian.  Thus 
a  hahit  grew  up,  which  has  not  expanded  itself  with  the  facts, 
but  rather  become  more  contracted.  The  experiment  has  been 
defeated  by  the  force  of  facts,  —  has  been  outgrown  indeed ; 
and  nothing  appears  to  me  more  certain  than  that  of  all  means 
for  bringing  about  an  education  in  common  now,  the  use  of 
the  Bible  as  a  reading-book  is  the  least  hopeful.  Our  friends 
indeed  say,  "  We  find  no  difficulty  in  teaching  out  of  the  Bible ; 
the  Psalms,  the  Parables,  etc.,  the  great  common  principles  of 
Christianity."  Yes  ;  but  can  a  Calvinist  do  this  same  thing,  — 
make  the  same  selection,  and  feel  that  he  is  teaching  the  un- 
dertruths  of  all  religion?    Say  what  we  will,  the  two  religions, 

275 


HOPE    STREET  [1855 

as  expressed  and  expressible  in  words,  are  wholly  different 
and  cannot  find  a  common  medium.  Orthodoxy  is  not  =  Uni- 
tarianism  +  an  Appendix ;  and  we  believe,  not  less,  but  other- 
zvise  than  they.  Firmly  indeed  do  I  believe  in  a  common 
Christianity;  but  it  lies  in  the  unconscious  aspirations  and  in- 
stincts of  our  humanity,  not  in  what  we  give  out  in  theoloj^ical 
and  biblical  teaching;  and  it  will  develop  itself  into  manifes- 
tation more  freely  if  you  do  not  force  the  differences  of  con- 
ception into  shy,  restrained  copresence  with  each  other,  but 
rather  leave  human  nature  to  its  unembarrassed  play,  teacher 
and  taught  being  heartily  and  wholly  in  the  same  element.  I 
am  convinced  that  thus  our  appointed  and  Providential  way 
to  unity  is  through  the  quietude  of  perfectly  natural  separa- 
tion; and  that  artificial  combinations  will  only  prolong  our 
differences  by  rendering  them  more  sensible  and  shrinking. 

What  plea  have  we  for  fancying  that  we  are  vindicating  the 
cause  of  Education  in  common?  IVJio  joins  us  in  the  call  for 
a  restoration  ?  Can  we  reproduce  the  combination  of  Quakers, 
Independents,  Methodists,  etc.,  who  surrounded  Joseph  Lan- 
caster, and  induce  them  to  feel  that  a  principle  has  been  in- 
fringed in  which  they  have  faith  for  Society?  Let  this  be 
tried  first;  and  if  a  fair  muster  of  names,  having  weight  with 
their  respective  parties,  can  be  brought  together,  pledged  to 
restore  the  system,  and  work  it  when  restored,  then  I  will  be- 
lieve that  we  do  not  stand  alone.  But  till  then,  I  shrink  from 
putting  in  jeopardy  a  noble  institution,  notoriously  satisfying 
in  the  main  the  great  wants  it  was  created  to  supply,  merely 
to  remedy  a  Unitarian  grievance,  and  claim  a  welcome  which, 
I  believe,  cannot  be  given.  As  friends  of  Education,  we  ought 
to  be  glad  to  see  the  work  done  for  others  and  by  others ;  and 
rather  accept  our  exclusion  as  a  social  necessity  than,  in  even 
reasonable  anger  against  individual  narrowness,  hurt  or  en- 
danger a  great  working  instrument  of  good.  The  battle  was 
"  successfully  "  fought  at  Bristol ;  with  what  result  ?  —  the 
entrance  of  the  Unitarian  Ministers  on  the  Committee  was  the 
signal  for  five  or  six  Orthodox  Ministers  to  withdraw.  So  in 
Liverpool  our  United  Schools  were  the  occasion  of  a  civic  war 
for  a  dozen  years,  ending  in  entire  separation  of  the  different 
sects  at  last.  And  except  for  mere  business  and  commercial 
objects,  all  joint  action  of  the  Unitarians,  Church,  and  other 
denominations,  has  been  found  for  twenty  years  past  impos- 
sible, and  has  become  quite  occasional  and  exceptional. 

Then  again,  the  feeling  of  our  principal  men  in  the  North  is 
strong  and  general  against  this  attempt. 

276 


1855]      LECTURES  ON   LORD'S   SUPPER 

.  .  .  ]\Iy  brother  Robert  thinks  that  Birmingham  will  give 
no  support  worth  speaking  of.  Under  these  circumstances 
great  evils  will  arise  from  persevering  in  the  course  begun. 
What  I  wanted  was  to  have  the  whole  thing  entrusted  to  a 
Committee  of  inqtdry,  appointed  to  report  and  advise.  In  this 
way  the  feeling  of  our  wrong  would  have  had  expression  at 
the  meeting,  and  nothing  would  have  been  prejudged.  Time 
would  have  been  gained  to  learn  the  real  feeling  of  our  body ; 
and  if  the  means  of  advancing  further  were  forthcoming,  we 

might  have  made  a  united  advance.     But  's  impetuosity 

precipitated  the  matter ;  full  pozvers  were  taken  by  a  Committee 
bound  to  proceed,  and  I  know  not  where  we  shall  be.  It  is 
impossible  not  to  feel  that  a  multitude  of  parsons,  who  do 
nothing  in  the  matter  but  hold  up  their  hands,  meet  and  vote 
away  into  Chancery  the  funds  of  our  laymen,  upon  whom  the 
real  burthen  falls;  and  who  often  are  dragged,  against  or 
without  conviction,  into  undertakings  started  by  ministers  more 
busy  than  wise.  .  .  . 

Ever  affectionately  yours, 

James  Marti xeau. 

In  the  course  of  this  year  he  delivered  twenty-three  lec- 
tures to  the  young  people  of  his  congregation  on  the  history 
and  significance  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  always  felt  a 
deep  interest  in  this  observance;  and  while  he  fully  re- 
spected the  liberty  of  those  who,  after  careful  and  conscien- 
tious thought,  refrained  from  joining  it,  he  was  grieved 
that  so  many  should  absent  themselves  through  mere  neglect 
and  ignorance.  The  first  few  lectures  were  devoted  to  an 
exposition  of  the  several  accounts  in  the  New  Testament; 
and  he  then  traced  the  different  modes  of  celebration,  and 
the  growth  of  ecclesiastical  dogma  respecting  it,  dow^n  to 
the  time  of  the  Reformation,  The  lectures  were  then  sus- 
pended for  the  summer ;  and  when  he  resumed  them  at  the 
end  of  September,  he  gave  an  account  of  the  Reformation, 
and  of  the  different  forms  of  Protestant  doctrine.  The  last 
lecture,  on  the  6th  of  December,  gives  a  summary  of  results, 
and  presents  his  own  view.  He  selects  three  points  in 
v^hich  all  the  forms  of  Christianity  agree:    i.  That  the 

277 


HOPE    STREET  [1855 

Eucharist  is  a  rite  representing  Christ's  human  life  and 
death,  but  particularly  his  death.  2.  That  the  partaker  must 
fix  an  eye  of  faith  on  that  past  scene,  not  as  simply  his- 
torical, but  as  connected  with  his  own  spiritual  life.  3.  That 
the  partaker  is  richer  in  divine  grace  after  than  before. 
Speaking  of  its  meaning  for  those  whom  he  addressed,  he 
says  that  it  is  an  acknowledgment  by  the  Church  of  its  de- 
scent through  groups  of  believers  who  all  found  their  head 
in  Christ.  Thus  it  signifies  that  we  have  not  framed  our 
religion  in  solitude,  but  have  received  it  as  an  inheritance 
from  the  past.  Human  nature  was,  as  it  were,  re-created  in 
Christ;  his  is  the  type  of  character  to  which  we  aspire;  and 
in  the  Lord's  Supper  we  declare  ourselves  to  be  of  the  school 
of  Christ.  We  also  express  our  relation  to  one  another, 
and,  renouncing  our  individuality,  declare  ourselves  mem- 
bers of  one  great  whole,  dependent  on  one  another,  and  all 
in  common  dependent  on  Christ  as  their  head.  But  on  the 
other  hand,  as  Christ  is  a  sample  to  us  of  each  one's  relation 
to  God,  he  shows  us  that,  besides  our  union  with  others  in 
one  body,  we  have  each  a  separate  individuality,  and  an 
individual,  lonely  responsibility.  Thus  Christ  occupies  two 
relations  to  our  minds,  —  an  historical,  making  us  all  parts 
of  a  great  whole,  and  a  spiritual,  making  each  a  separate 
individual  before  God.  We  celebrate  his  death  in  particular, 
because  it  was  his  death  which  gave  him  to  the  whole  world 
as  an  object  of  universal  faith.  His  death  was  the  most 
perfect  self-sacrifice,  the  highest  to  which  we  can  aspire; 
and  in  this  recognition  we  offer  ourselves.  On  the  first 
Sunday  of  the  new  year  he  gave  a  final  address  before  the 
Communion  Service,  in  which  many  members  of  the  class 
then  joined  for  the  first  time.  This  earnest  address  left  a 
deep  and  lasting  impression.^ 


^  This  account  is  taken  from  notes  of  the  lectures  written  by  Miss  Gertrude 
Martineau.  The  final  address  is  printed,  as  a  "  Confirmation  Address,"  in  the 
second  volume  of  "Hours  of  Thought  on  Sacred  Things,"  1S79. 

2^8 


X856]    INTENDS  TO  RESIGN  HIS  PULPIT 

Early  in  1856  Mr.  Martineau  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
resign  his  pulpit  in  the  following  year.  The  reasons  for 
this  intention,  and  the  results  of  communicating  it  to  the 
Committee  of  the  Congregation,  are  unfolded  in  the  fol- 
lowing correspondence :  — 

Friday  AFfERNOON,  April  4,  1856. 

AIy  dear  Sir,  —  The  enclosed  letter  was  in  my  pocket  when 
we  were  conversing  together  this  afternoon  in  the  vestry ;  but 
I  was  unwilling  to  present  it  to  you  at  a  moment  which  would 
have  put  it  into  quite  a  false  connexion,  or  to  occasion  you  any 
feeling  of  personal  embarrassment  during  the  meeting  which 
immediately  followed. 

I  would  only  add  that,  while  giving  a  long  notice  in  defer- 
ence to  a  long  connexion,  I  shall  be  saved  some  of  the  pain 
involved  in  a  separation,  if  no  unnecessary  publicity  be  given 
at  present  to  the  fact  of  my  resignation.     I  remain 

My  dear  Sir, 

Yours  very  truly, 

James  Martineau. 
H.  W.  Meade  King,  Esq. 

Letter  enclosed  in  the  above. 

Park  Nook,  Prince's  Park,  April  4,  1856. 

My  DEAR  Sir,  —  To  you,  I  believe,  as  Chairman  of  the 
Congregational  Committee,  it  is  right  that  I  should  address,  in 
the  first  instance,  an  announcement,  which,  at  a  later  stage, 
must  assume  a  more  public  form ;  viz.,  that  it  is  my  intention 
to  retire  from  my  office,  as  Minister  of  Hope  Street  Church, 
not  later  than  the  Midsummer  of  next  year. 

I  shall  then  have  completed  my  twenty-five  years  of  service ; 
and  so  deeply  have  I  always  felt  the  evils  of  prolonging  the 
samiC  influence  on  the  same  spot,  when  a  new  generation  brings 
its  nev/  wants,  that  I  early  prescribed  to  myself  the  step  now 
taken.  Indeed,  it  has  been  in  contemplation  for  some  years. 
But,  having  been  anticipated  by  my  friends,  Mr.  Thom  and 
Mr,  Wicksteed,  I  felt  that  it  would  be  unreasonable  to  quit 
my  post  while  the  impression  of  their  retirement  was  still 
fresh.  This  motive  for  delay  is  now  exhausted.  The  last 
work  in  completion  of  the  new  church  and  schools  is  achieved. 
My  quarter  century  approaches  its  term.  And  while  a  more 
hopeful  spirit  will  render  a  more  efficient  duty  in  the  place 

279 


HOPE    STREET  [1856 

I  have  so  long  filled,  perhaps  matured  experience  and  powers 
may  devote  me  with  increased  advantage  to  other  depart- 
ments of  my  work  in  life,  and  permit  me  still  to  share  in  the 
great  service  of  Christian  truth  and  righteousness. 

At  present  I  deny  myself  every  expression  of  the  thousand 
struggling  feelings  with  which  I  announce  this  resolve. 
Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir, 

Ever  faithfully  yours, 

James  Martineau. 
H.  \V.  Meade  King,  Esq. 

In  reply  Mr.  King  referred  to  a  statement  which  he  had 
made  that  the  income  of  the  church  was  considerably 
diminished.  On  seeing  Mr.  Martineau' s  letter,  he  thought 
it  referred  to  this;  and  it  was  with  amazement  and  deep 
concern  that  he  learnt  its  real  purport.  He  had  a  strong 
feeling  that  it  was  not  incumbent  on  him  for  the  present  to 
impart  its  contents  to  anyone.  Finally  he  explains  that  not 
he,  but  Mr.  Bolton,  was  Chairman  of  Committee. 

To  this  Mr.  Martineau  immediately  replied :  — 

Park  Nook,  Prince's  Park,  April  5,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  I  have  to  apologise  for  the  inadvertence 
with  which  I  am  chargeable  in  addressing  my  letter  of  yester- 
day to  you  instead  of  to  Mr.  Bolton.  I  had  confounded  to- 
gether for  the  moment  your  relations  to  the  School  and  to  the 
Church  Committee. 

Having,  however,  fallen  into  the  informality,  I  would  leave 
it  entirely  to  your  discretion,  on  the  eve  of  a  change  in  the  Com- 
mittee, to  communicate  the  letter  to  the  present  body  or  to  the 
new  one,  as  you  may  think  best.  If  the  former,  then  I  appre- 
hend the  matter  must  come  before  the  general  meeting  on  the 
13th  inst.,  to  which  the  retiring  Committee  renders  its  accounts. 
If  the  latter,  then  the  announcement  would  be  reserved  for  a 
special  congregational  meeting,  summoned  for  the  purpose  at 
a  time  agreed  upon  between  the  new  Committee  and  myself. 
In  either  case  I  should  propose  to  make  the  communication  to 
the  congregation  in  a  letter  more  ample  and  adequate  to  the 
occasion  than  the  more  preliminary  notice  which  is  in  your 
hands.  I  thought  it  due  to  the  Committee  to  open  my  purpose 
first  to  them,  and  to  confer  with  them  as  to  the  proper  time  and 
mode  of  the  more  public  announcement.     But  the  impending 

280 


1856]       WITHDRAWS    RESIGNATION 

annual  meeting  and  change  of  committee  had  not  occurred  to 
me  when  I  wrote  on  Friday  morning. 

Let  me  only  add  that  I  had  in  no  way  misunderstood  the 
purport  of  your  explanation  in  the  vestry ;  and  that,  although 
in  itself  disheartening,  it  would  have  added  no  very  sensible 
weight  to  far  deeper  discouragements.  My  present  step  is  in 
any  case  the  mere  execution  of  a  resolve  that  has  been  taken 
for  many  a  year,  that  has  already  been,  I  fear,  too  long  delayed, 
and  that  is  quite  independent  of  any  temporary  impulse. 
Believe  me  ever,  my  dear  Sir, 

Yours  very  sincerely, 

H.  W.  Meade  King,  Esq.  James   MartineaU. 

On  April  7  Mr.  King  wrote,  informing  him  that  he  had 
resolved  to  keep  the  letter  for  the  new  Committee, 

This  was  followed  by  a  letter  from  Mr.  Frederick 
Chappie,  on  April  17,  saying  that  a  Deputation  had  been 
appointed  by  the  Committee  to  wait  upon  him,  and  asking 
him  to  fix  an  early  time  for  receiving  it. 

After  conference  with  the  Deputation  Mr.  Martineau 
wrote  the  following  letter :  — 

Park  Nook,  May  5,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  carefully  pondered  the  many  weighty 
suggestions  placed  before  me  by  yourself  and  the  other  friends 
deputed  to  confer  with  me  on  the  subject  of  my  recent  letter 
to  Mr.  H.  W.  Meade  King.  I  have  also  taken  the  counsel 
which  I  especially  desired  in  aid  of  my  own  judgment,  and  I 
must  no  longer  delay  my  promised  reply. 

Let  me  frankly  confess  that  the  cordial  urgency  of  your 
representations  has  overpowered  me,  supported  as  it  is  by  as- 
surances since  received,  that,  under  the  existing  arrangement, 
the  College  suffers  from  no  inadequate  discharge  of  the  duties 
I  owe  to  it.  I  certainly  thought  that  my  mind  was  conclusively 
made  up  and  beyond  the  reach  of  change.  But  I  cannot,  for 
the  mere  look  of  consistency,  act  on  misgivings  which  so  much 
evidence  has  tended  to  remove,  or  adhere  pedantically  to  a  date 
of  retirement  which  the  guardians  of  our  congregational  in- 
terests deem  too  early.  I  therefore  feel  it  best  —  at  least  allow- 
able —  to  suspend  for  a  season  the  purpose  I  had  announced. 

But  after  the  free  and  full  conversation  w^e  had  together,  it 
is  due,  both  to  you  and  to  myself,  that  I  should  add  a  few  words 
to  this  bare  statement. 

281 


HOPE    STREET  [1856 

You  will  perhaps  remember  the  three  motives  to  which  I 
referred  my  purpose  of  retirement:  (i)  the  apprehension  that 
my  work  here  had  reached  its  proper  term;  (2)  the  desire  to 
do  completer  justice  to  my  collegiate  duties;  (3)  the  need  of 
some  years  of  studious  labour,  in  order  to  execute  one  or  two 
literary  projects,  the  materials  for  which  would  else  have  been 
accumulated  in  vain. 

While  the  first  of  these  has  been  neutralised  by  your  affec- 
tionate encouragement,  the  other  two  are  in  great  measure  in- 
accessible to  such  relief.  As  to  the  second,  —  if  the  College 
expectations  are  satisfied,  my  owm  are  not ;  and  the  imperfect 
services  I  can  give  are  rendered  at  a  cost  of  fatigue  which  I 
cannot  hope  to  be  always  as  well  able  to  bear  as  I  am  now. 
The  third  you  endeavoured  to  meet  by  several  most  liberal  de- 
vices for  procuring  me  the  requisite  leisure.  Of  the  more 
considerable  of  these  I  have  neither  need  nor  desire  to  avail 
myself.  But  I  should  most  thankfully  accept  a  slight  exten- 
sion and  completion  of  my  annual  leave  of  absence,  which, 
when  really  free  and  uninterrupted,  is  of  the  utmost  value  to 
me  for  refreshment  and  change  of  occupation.  Two  months 
in  the  summer,  undistracted  by  liabilities  to  preach  in  other 
places  as  often  the  only  practicable  means  of  finding  supplies 
for  my  own,  would  be  a  genuine  relief ;  and  would  enable  me 
to  make  some  progress  with  designs  w^hich,  during  the  rest  of 
the  year,  are  laid  aside  to  wait  for  an  uncertain  future. 

No  words  of  mine  can  express  my  sense  of  the  unbounded 
kindness  and  nobleness  of  spirit  evinced  by  the  deputation 
towards  myself.  But  I  am  even  more  grateful  to  them  for 
the  frankness  with  which  they  recognised  the  need  of  some 
improvement  in  our  congregational  organisation.  Without 
any  wish  for  sweeping  experimental  changes,  I  believe  that 
many  useful  amendments  may  be  easily  engrafted  on  our 
present  habits  and  feelings.  And  as  we  all  seem  to  be  of  one 
mind  in  this  matter,  I  shall  most  gladly  confer  on  the  subject 
with  any  members  of  the  Committee  wdio  may  be  prepared  to 
enter  into  the  details. 

Amid  all  the  doubts  that  hang  over  the  future,  I  thank  God 
for  the  present  respite  from  a  most  painful  step ;  and  only 
pray  that  in  postponing  it  I  may  not,  through  any  personal 
illusion,  have  really  missed  His  best  time. 

BeHeve  me,  my  dear  Sir,  with  grateful  affection, 
Yours  very  faithfully, 

James  Martineau. 

F.  Chapple,  Esq. 

282 


I85C]    GRATEFUL  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

At  a  Committee  meeting  on  May  7  a  resolution  was 
unanimously  passed,  expressing  satisfaction,  and  promising 
to  do  their  utmost  to  carry  out  the  proposed  changes.  The 
facts  were  laid  before  a  meeting  of  the  congregation  on 
May  1 1 ;  and  at  a  meeting  on  June  8  resolutions  were 
unanimously  passed,  expressing  regard  and  affection  for 
Mr.  jNIartineau,  and  the  high  estimation  in  which  his  min- 
isterial services  were  held,  and  extending  his  vacation  to 
two  months,  during  which  the  congregation  would  find 
supplies  for  the  pulpit.  A  letter  signed  by  eighty-seven 
young  people  was  addressed  to  Mr.  Chappie,  chairman  of 
the  meeting,  stating  that  they  could  not  conceive  anything 
more  detrimental  to  their  highest  interests  than  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  retirement.  "  It  would  be  to  cut  off  at  its  source 
the  intellectual,  moral,  and  religious  stream  of  which  "  they 
all  had  drunk.  They  wished  to  assure  him  of  their  gratitude 
for  his  past  services,  their  love  for  him  personally,  and  their 
hope  that  he  would  long  continue  among  them,  to  kindle 
in  them  new  thoughts,  and  direct  them  to  beneficent  ends. 

These  incidents  were  closed  by  the  following  letter :  — 

Park  Nook,  Prince's  Park,  June  13,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  Your  friendly  notes  received  in  London 
contained  enclosures  too  important  and  affecting  to  be  ac- 
knowledged on  the  instant,  or  indeed  from  any  other  spot 
than  the  desk  at  home,  which  collects  about  it  so  many  con- 
gregational associations. 

I  had  doubted,  you  are  aware,  the  possibility  of  so  present- 
ing to  the  congregation  the  substance  of  my  recent  correspond- 
ence with  the  Committee  as  to  render  adequately  intelligible 
the  grounds,  either  of  the  step  I  had  designed  to  take,  or  of 
its  subsequent  withdrawal.  All  the  more  reassuring  is  it  that, 
with  even  imperfect  apprehension  of  my  motives,  the  congre- 
gation should  have  unanimously  renewed  towards  me  the  ex- 
pression of  their  trust  and  the  pledges  of  their  zeal  and 
sincerity.  In  the  noble  spirit  which  animates  them  I  find 
fresh  encouragement  to  contend  with  difficulties  and  misgiv- 
ings which  I  have  not  always  faith  enough  to  conquer. 

283 


HOPE    STREET  [1855 

I  am  truly  grateful  for  the  concession  of  a  complete  vaca- 
tion. Such  an  arrangement  —  for  change  rather  than  suspen- 
sion of  industry  —  has  a  value,  and  even  a  necessity,  which 
can  scarcely  be  appreciated  by  those  who  are  immersed  in  the 
stirring  affairs  of  outward  life.  And  the  invariable  usage  of 
Schools  and  Colleges  and  other  intellectual  functions  of  society 
in  all  ages  testifies  to  the  irresistible  thirst  for  periodical  inter- 
mission which  arises  in  a  life  of  much  inward  strain. 

Nothing  can  be  better,  I  think,  than  the  constitution  of  the 
Committee  for  considering  the  means  of  an  improved  congre- 
gational organisation.  The  elements  of  it  are  so  various  that 
the  felt  wants  of  every  class  must  come  to  light ;  and  with 
patience,  frankness,  and  mutual  trust  among  the  members,  I 
do  not  doubt  that  a  practical  remedy  may  be  found  for  most 
of  our  social  and  external  deficiencies. 

The  letter  of  the  young  people  —  as  it  has  most  surprised  — 
has  perhaps  most  deeply  moved  me ;  and  fills  me  not  only  with 
new  hope,  but  with  earnest  desire  to  help  so  much  true  zeal 
and  affection  towards  the  highest  ends  of  the  Christian  life. 
The  particular  pleasure  I  have  always  had  in  instructing  the 
thoughtful  among  the  young,  and  the  keen  sympathy  I  have 
never  lost  with  their  natural  way  of  thinking  and  feeling  in 
matters  of  conscience  and  faith,  render  me  doubly  grateful  for 
any  response  on  their  part.  So  long  as  my  ministry  here  is 
continued,  no  object  included  in  it  will  be  dearer  to  me  than 
to  impart  to  them  whatever  I  have  to  give,  and  to  nurture 
their  best  aspirations  amid  the  damping  influences  and  the 
severer  temptations  of  the  world. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Sir,  v/ith  grateful  and  affectionate 
regard, 

Ever  faithfully  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

Frederick  Chapple,  Esq. 

On  the  1 2th  of  May  he  presided  over  a  meeting  of  the 
Liverpool  Domestic  Mission  Society,  in  which  he  always 
felt  a  deep  interest.  In  the  course  of  an  address  he  said  he 
was  convinced  that  it  was  a  fatal  mistake  to  suppose  that  in 
going  amongst  the  poor  all  that  was  required  was  a  benev- 
olent and  Christian  heart,  a  religious  spirit,  and  a  will- 
ingness for  self-sacrifice,  and  maintained  that  no  natural 
qualities  and  no  acquired  culture  could  be  too  rich  to  bring 

284 


1855]         "MEDIATORIAL    RELIGION" 

to  bear  upon  the  elevation  of  their  lot.  The  Society  had 
justified  by  Its  results  the  unsectarian  principle  of  its  consti- 
tution; for  their  minister,  Mr.  Bishop,  now  on  the  eve  of 
his  retirement,  was  widely  appealed  to  as  an  authority 
in  regard  to  the  condition  of  the  poor,  in  a  manner  that 
w^ould  not  be  extended  to  a  mere  minister  of  a  particular 
sect.  The  mission  had  also  quickened  a  sense  of  the  impor- 
tance of  social  problems,  and  was  accumulating  the  syste- 
matic knowledge  of  the  condition  of  the  poor  which  was 
necessary  for  their  solution. 

The  Provincial  Assembly  met  this  year  at  Cross  Street 
Chapel,  Manchester,  on  the  19th  of  June,  when  the  Com- 
mittee reported  in  favour  of  Mr.  Martineau's  suggestion, 
that,  while  all  members  of  the  associated  congregations 
should  have  the  right  of  attending  and  speaking  at  the 
meetings,  three  lay  delegates  should  be  appointed  by  each 
congregation,  who  alone,  in  addition  to  the  ministers,  should 
have  the  right  of  voting.  The  report  was  adopted  by  a 
large  majority.  In  the  evening  Mr.  Martineau  spoke  on 
a  congenial  subject,  "  a  theology  which  fears  not,  but  courts 
the  growing  light  of  philosophy  and  science." 

His  pen  was  still  busily  engaged  upon  his  favourite  topics, 
and  in  the  April  number  of  the  "  National  "  appeared,  under 
the  title  of  "  Mediatorial  Religion,"  a  very  interesting 
review  of  Mr.  J.  M'Cleod  Campbell's  work  on  the  atone- 
ment.^ The  article  is  largely  expository  of  Mr.  Campbell's 
opinions,  and,  while  highly  appreciative,  points  out  their 
inherent  difficulty.  It  might  be  usefully  studied  in  con- 
nexion with  the  lecture  on  the  same  subject  in  the  Liverpool 
controversy.  He  complains  that  the  great  masters  of  the 
Evangelical  school  are  too  much  at  home  with  the  Divine 
economy.  "  We  must  confess,"  he  writes,  "  that  when  a 
teacher  lays  down  the  conditions  of  divine  possibility,  ex- 


1  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity." 

285 


HOPE    STREET  [1856 

patiates  psychologically  on  the  sentiments  of  the  Father 
and  the  Son,  and  seems  as  though  he  had  been  allowed  a 
peep  into  the  autobiography  of  God,  we  shrink  from  the 
sharp  outlines,  and  feel  that  we  shall  believe  more  if  we  are 
shown  less."  This  tendency  was  due  to  the  doctrine  of 
Mediation  introduced  by  the  Protestant  Reformers,  who 
constructed  "  a  drama  of  Providence  and  Grace,  with  plot 
too  artfully  wrought  for  the  free  hand  of  Heaven,  and  traits 
too  specific  and  minute  for  reverent  contemplation."  The 
transference  of  moral  attributes  from  mind  to  mind,  to 
which  Mr.  Campbell  objects,  but  from  which  his  own  theory 
does  not  escape,  is  possible  only  to  the  realism  which  treats 
humanity  as  the  organic  unit  of  which  individual  samples 
of  mankind  are  numerical  accidents,  and  is  at  variance  with 
the  fundamental  postulates  of  the  Moral  Sense.  His  own 
view  is  thus  presented :  "  The  Son  of  God,  at  once  above 
our  life  and  in  our  life,  morally  divine  and  circumstantially 
human,  mediates  for  us  between  the  self  so  hard  to  escape, 
and  the  Infinite  so  hopeless  to  reach;  and  draws  us  out  of 
our  mournful  darkness  without  losing  us  in  excess  of  light. 
He  opens  to  us  the  moral  and  spiritual  mysteries  of  our 
existence,  appealing  to  a  consciousness  in  us  that  was  asleep 
before.  And  though  he  leaves  whole  worlds  of  thought 
approachable  only  by  silent  wonder,  yet  his  own  walk  of 
heavenly  communion,  his  words  of  grace  and  works  of 
power,  his  strife  of  divine  sorrow,  his  cross  of  self-sacrifice, 
his  reappearance  behind  the  veil  of  life  eternal,  fix  on  him 
such  holy  trust  and  love,  that,  where  we  are  denied  the 
assurance  of  knowledge,  we  attain  the  repose  of  faith." 

The  October  number  of  the  "  National  "  was  enriched 
with  a  long  article  entitled  "  Personal  Influences  on  our 
Present  Theology :  Newman — Coleridge -^Carlyle."^    This 

^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  I.,  and  in  "Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological." 
The  essay  on  Revelation  in  the  latter  volume  is  by  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton,  and  was 
inserted  through  a  mistake  of  the  Editors. 

286 


1855]        "PERSONAL    INFLUENCES" 

illuminating  essay,  so  full  of  delicate  and  appreciative  crit- 
icism, hardly  lends  itself  to  any  useful  summary;  but  a  few 
selections  may  whet  the  reader's  appetite.  Having  described 
the  career  of  Newman  till  "  he  raised  his  Church  and  Little- 
more  into  a  power  of  the  first  order  in  the  history  of  English 
religion,"  he  speaks  of  ''  a  small  dark  speck  of  misgiving 
which  we  can  never  wipe  out.  The  secret  perhaps  lies  in 
this,  —  that  his  own  faith  is  an  escape  from  an  alternative 
scepticism,  which  receives  the  veto  not  of  his  reason,  but 
of  his  will.  He  has,  after  all,  the  critical,  not  the  prophetic 
mind.  He  wants  immcdiatencss  of  religious  vision.  .  .  . 
With  men  of  opposite  character,  often  reputed  to  be  scepti- 
cal, doubt  is  at  the  top,  and  is  but  as  the  swaying  of  water 
that  is  calm  below,  and  sleeps  in  its  entire  mass  within  its 
granite  cradle."  "  Sceptical  desolation  is  found  to  be  the 
best  preparative  for  the  shelter  of  an  authoritative  church." 
In  the  whole  influence  of  Dr.  Newman's  personality  and 
writings  he  sees  a  great  preponderance  of  good.  "  For  the 
reunion  of  religious  and  moral  ends,  —  for  the  reconcili- 
ation of  human  admirations  with  holy  reverence,  —  for  the 
consecration  of  the  near  and  temporal,  —  many  a  heart  owes 
a  debt  of  unspeakable  gratitude  to  the  literature  of  the 
Oxford  school."  But  "  their  system  has  too  often  the  ap- 
pearance of  being  constructed  on  purpose  as  a  refuge  from 
doubts  they  dare  not  face.  ...  It  is  hard  for  a  proselyte 
of  terror  to  become  a  child  of  trust :  and  the  brand  of  fear 
deforms  the  forehead  of  this  party."  The  Unitarians  with 
whom  Coleridge  was  associated  in  his  early  days  are  de- 
scribed as  "  a  people  eminently  practical  and  prosaic,  im- 
patient of  romance,  indifferent  to  intellectual  refinements, 
strict  in  their  moral  expectations,  scrupulous  of  the  veraci- 
ties but  afraid  of  the  fervours  of  devotion,"  and  therefore 
vehemently  antipathetic  to  Coleridge's  genius.  The  dis- 
tinction of  that  genius  was  the  religious  Realism,  which 
developed  itself  in  the  school  of  F.  D.  Maurice.     Of  the 

287 


HOPE    STREET  [1856 

latter  he  asserts  that  "  for  consistency  and  completeness  of 
thought,  and  precision  in  the  use  of  language,  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find  his  superior  among  living  theologians."  The 
strength  of  his  school  lies  "  in  the  faithful  interpretation 
of  what  is  at  once  deepest  and  highest  in  the  religious 
consciousness  of  men;  and  its  recognition,  in  this  con- 
sciousness, of  a  living  Divine  person,"  But  it  becomes 
questionable  when  it  enters  history,  and  identifies  the  eternal 
Logos  with  the  historical  Christ.  As  throwing  light  on 
Dr.  Martineau's  alleged  individualism  the  following  words 
may  be  quoted  from  his  criticism  of  Carlyle :  "  All  persons, 
taken  one  by  one,  are  but  elements  of  a  great  social  organ- 
ism, to  whose  laws  of  providential  growth  they  must  be 
held  subordinate.  History  cannot  be  resolved  into  a  mere 
series  of  biographies;  nor  can  the  individual  be  justly  esti- 
mated in  his  insulation,  and  tried  by  the  mere  inner  law  of 
his  own  particular  nature."  This  view  is  presented,  not 
as  the  whole,  but  as  "  the  larger  half  of  the  truth."  The 
three  schools  of  doctrine  which  he  has  surveyed  occupy  the 
most  distant  points  in  English  religion ;  but  "  one  thought 
will  be  found  secreted  at  the  heart  of  all  —  the  perennial 
Indwelling  of  God  in  Man  and  in  the  Universe."  To  "  men 
with  trust  in  a  Living  Righteousness,  which  no  creed  of 
one  age  can  adequately  define  for  the  fresh  experiences 
given  to  the  spirit  of  another,  .  .  .  and  not  to  the  noisy 
devotees  and  Pharisees  of  party,"  does  he  "  look  for  the 
faith  of  the  future." 

On  this  article  his  friend  F.  W.  Newman  wrote  on  Octo- 
ber 28 :  "  Your  article  concerning  my  brother  amazes  me 
by  the  inexhaustible  fund  of  patience  which  you  possess, 
still  more  than  it  interests  me  in  all  other  respects.  How 
you  can  read,  on  and  on,  disentangling  such  webs,  I  cannot 
conceive.  As  to  Maurice,  I  am  sure  that  you  understand 
him,  and  on  your  testimony  I  believe  that  there  is  in  him 
a  noble  and  self-consistent  religious  theory;    but  that  will 

288 


X856]  "ONE  GOSPEL  IN  MANY  DIALECTS" 

not  enable  me  to  suspect  that  it  is  my  fault  and  not  his  that 
I  find  him  obscure.  If  he  will  teach  popular  duty,  it  is  his 
task  to  come  within  popular  comprehension ;  and  he  does 
not." 

This  essay  might  serve  as  an  extended  illustration  of  a 
sermon,  "  One  Gospel  in  Many  Dialects,"  ^  which  he  de- 
livered on  Whit  Sunday  at  the  Centenary  of  the  Octagon 
Chapel,  Norwich.  In  this  sermon  he  selects,  as  the  three 
great  types  of  natural  mind  on  which  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
may  fall,  the  ethical,  the  passionate,  and  the  spiritual,  which 
he  finds  represented,  even  in  the  earliest  period,  in  Matthew, 
Paul,  and  John,  Speaking  of  the  spiritual  he  says :  "  Na- 
ture, of  her  own  foolishness,  ever  goes  astray  in  her  quest 
of  divine  things ;  wandering  away  in  flights  of  labouring 
Reason  to  find  her  God;  panting  with  over-plied  resolve 
to  do  her  work;  scheming  rules,  and  artifices,  and  bonds 
of  union  for  forming  her  individuals  into  a  Church."  But 
reverse  all  this,  and  fall  back  on  the  centre  of  the  Spirit, 
and  "  if  there  were  twenty  or  a  thousand  in  this  case,  their 
wills  would  flow  together  of  their  own  accord,  and  find 
themselves  in  brotherhood  without  a  plan  at  all."  All  three 
types  are  blended  in  Christ,  "  undistinguishable  elements 
of  one  expression,"  for  "  his  divine  image  is  complete  in  its 
revelation,  and  rebukes  every  narrower  Gospel." 

In  reference  to  this  sermon  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  W.  R. 
Alger :  "  Your  approbation  of  that  sermon  consoles  me  for 
the  general  disaffection  which  it  encountered  here,  and 
especially  among  those  who  listened  to  it  in  my  native  city. 
I  confess  to  an  ever-growing  sympathy  with  all  the  great 
characteristic  types  of  the  Christian  inner  life;  and  love  to 
seek  in  them  for  a  deeper  unity  than  Catholicism  has  ever 
realised  or  Protestantism  destroyed.  But  our  Unitarians 
are  jealous  of  any  tendency  which  seems  to  reduce  the  par- 


1  Reprinted  in  "  Studies  of  Christianity." 
19  289 


HOPE    STREET  [1856 

amount  importance  of  their  distinctive  tenets ;  and  they  look 
upon  such  sermons  as  a  sort  of  treachery  or  surrender  of 
the  party  banner."  It  is  only  fair  to  quote  the  comment 
appended  to  the  report  of  it  in  "  The  Ciiristian  Reformer  "  : 
"  It  was  eminently  characterised  by  the  wide  grasp  of 
thought,  the  profound  insight,  the  large  spiritual  sym- 
pathies and  the  masterly  treatment,  by  which  the  preacher 
is  distinguished." 

For  very  many  years  it  was  customary  at  Manchester 
New  College  for  one  of  the  Professors,  in  rotation,  to 
open  the  session  in  October  with  a  public  address,  designed, 
as  Mr.  Martineau  expressed  it,  at  once  to  strike  the  true 
keynote  of  the  studies,  and  to  invite  and  justify  the  sym- 
pathy of  friends.  In  this  year  it  devolved  upon  him  to 
speak,  and  he  chose  for  his  subject  "  The  Christian  Stu- 
dent."^ In  this  discourse  we  hear  for  a  moment  of  "critics" 
of  the  College,  of  whom  we  must  hear  a  good  deal  more 
presently;  and  while  disclaiming  all  pretence  that  its  in- 
tellectual discipline  was  perfect  in  its  shape  and  distribution, 
or  invariably  happy  in  its  results,  he  maintained  that  in 
proportion  as  these  critics  rose  above  the  impatient  tastes 
and  partial  standards  of  the  hour,  and  apprehended  the  per- 
manent conditions  of  the  Christian  ministry,  they  would 
find  the  more  reason  to  respect  its  aims  and  plans.  The  end 
for  which  the  institution  existed  was  the  training  of  a  body 
of  men  devoted  to  the  advancement  of  the  Christian  life; 
and  if  its  founders  refused  to  involve  it  in  the  contingencies 
of  doctrinal  definition,  it  was  from  no  want  of  clear  and 
fervent  faith  for  their  own  life,  but  because,  in  their  view, 
God  had  more  light  than  was  needed  for  guiding  iJicni, 
and  the  Church  of  Christ  was  no  completed  thing,  but  "  a 
perpetual  protest  against  evil  never  vanquished,  and  a  pres- 
sure towards  a  Kingdom  of  Heaven  never  reached."     The 


1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

290 


1856]         COMMERCIAL    MORALITY 

kernel  of  the  life  conformed  to  Christ's  was  "  the  living 
sacrifice,"  differing  from  Pagan  ethics  in  this,  that,  while 
Pagan  self-conquest  had  been  a  self-assertion,  the  Christian 
was  a  self-surrender.  The  first  duty,  then,  was  to  select 
for  the  service  of  the  Church  those  only  in  whom  there  was 
"  some  dawn  of  God's  prophetic  spirit,  some  clearness  and 
depth  of  conscience,  some  tender  lights  of  affection,  some 
glow  of  young  enthusiasm,  giving  fair  promise  of  the  com- 
ing day."  But  as  religion  claimed  to  penetrate  the  whole 
of  life,  it  was  the  business  of  the  Christian  minister  to  keep 
it  equal  to  the  exigencies  of  advancing  time;  so  that  he 
wanted  the  largest  and  most  generous  training,  and  scarcely 
completed  his  qualifications  till  he  was  furnished  with  a 
key  to  every  compartment  of  human  life  and  thought. 
Theology  was  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  God  manifested 
himself  as  Agent  and  Disposer  in  outward  nature,  as  com- 
muning with  the  individual  soul,  and  as  the  Providence  of 
collective  humanity.  In  his  training  of  the  human  race 
*'  we  obtain  a  correction  of  the  excessive  individualism  of 
Protestant  piety,  sequestering  the  private  mind  with  God, 
and  abandoning  Society  and  States  to  the  secular  expedi- 
encies ;  and  are  lifted  to  the  higher  view  which  the  Catholic 
theology  contains,  but  the  Catholic  hierarchy  corrupts,  — 
that  our  humanity  is  one  vast  organism,  at  once  the  object 
and  the  medium  of  a  Divine  and  holy  purpose."  Refer- 
ring, in  conclusion,  to  his  own  College,  he  said :  "  If  there 
is  any  class  of  Christian  teachers  free  to  assume  this  pan- 
optic position,  and  bound  by  their  antecedents  to  aim  at  the 
hearty  and  complete  reconciliation  of  philosophic  thought 
and  holy  faith,  assuredly  it  is  the  representatives  of  a  body 
which  has  never  imposed  a  creed  and  never  feared  a  truth." 
On  the  30th  of  November  he  preached  a  sermon  on  com- 
mercial morality,  entitled  "  Owe  no  man  anything,"  ^  which 


*  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

291 


HOPE    STREET  [1856 

was  published  by  the  desire  of  many  of  his  hearers.  It  is 
a  plea  for  scrupulous  honour  in  industrial  and  commercial 
transactions,  fully  admitting  indeed  the  intricacy  of  many 
problems,  and  the  complexity  of  modern  business,  which 
leads  men  almost  unconsciously  into  a  wrong  course,  but 
holding  up  to  view  the  standard  of  eternal  rectitude,  and 
showing  that  many  voices  and  much  time  cannot  make  and 
unmake  right  and  wrong,  and  it  is  not  ours  to  invent  our 
own  laws  instead  of  interpreting  and  applying  God's, 

On  the  6th  of  October  the  Rev.  W.  R.  Alger,  of  Boston, 
U.  S.  A,,  with  whom  he  had  had  some  previous  corre- 
spondence, wrote  him  a  letter  containing  some  interesting 
particulars.  Shortly  before  this  time  Mr.  Alger  proposed 
to  Dr.  Walker,  President  of  Harvard  University,  that  the 
College  should  confer  upon  Mr.  Martineau  the  degree  of 
LL.D.  Unfortunately  there  was  a  rule  in  accordance  with 
which  the  faculty  never  gave  a  degree  to  a  foreigner  un- 
less he  had  in  some  manner  connected  his  name  with  the 
country.  Were  it  not  for  this  rule,  the  President  said, 
"  Harvard  would  certainly  pay  its  tribute  to  the  best  theo- 
logian and  philosopher  of  England."  This  was  one  of 
many  reasons  which  made  Mr.  Alger  wish  to  see  him  in 
America.  Accordingly  he  adds :  "  I  can  secure  for  you  an 
invitation  to  deliver  twelve  lectures  before  the  Lowell  In- 
stitute, on  *  The  Philosophy  of  Ethics,'  or  on  any  allied 
theme  you  choose."  The  whole  expedition  would  occupy 
only  twelve  weeks,  and  £300  would  be  paid  in  addition  to 
expenses.  Mr.  Martineau' s  reply  travels  over  a  wider 
range  of  subjects,  but  may  be  here  given  in  full.  The 
opening  sentence  is  due  to  Mr.  Alger's  allusion  to  his  *' per- 
severing silence." 

TO   THE   REV.  W.  R.  ALGER. 

Liverpool,  Nov.  io,  1856. 

My  dear  Mr.  Alger,  —  I  know  that  I  am  a  barbarian  in 
all  epistolary  relations ;  yet  I  am  not  so  hardened  against  com- 

292 


1856]     PROPOSALS    TO    VISIT    AMERICA 

punction  as  to  be  impenetrable  by  such  generous  patience  as 
yours.  I  know  not  how  it  is,  but  a  certain  shy  habit  of  mind, 
affecting  my  pen  as  well  as  my  tongue,  has  persecuted  me  from 
childhood,  and  made  me  the  worst  of  companions  to  friends 
whether  distant  or  near.  I  cannot  excuse  myself,  but  can  only 
say  that  my  infirmity  gains  an  unfair  advantage  over  a  life  so 
rarely  freed  as  mine  from  the  urgent  pressure  of  immediate 
engagements.  After  all,  —  though  I  say  so  little,  —  few  things 
more  deeply  move  me  than  your  affectionate  appreciation,  — 
excessive  though  I  know  it  to  be.  I  will  not  say  I  am  too  old 
to  be  spoiled  by  it,  —  for  temptation  is  not  distanced  by  length 
of  days.  But  somehow  thought  and  sorrow  and  work  remove 
one  out  of  the  atmosphere  of  vanity,  and  consecrate  sympathy 
to  other  than  selfish  ends.  Moreover  you  are  not  less  the  faith- 
ful monitor  than  the  warm  friend,  and  from  time  to  time  try  to 
rouse  me  to  some  worthier  and  larger  enterprise  than  I  have 
yet  attempted.  Well,  I  do  not  know  that  your  encouragement 
may  not  add  a  decisive  force  to  my  own  purposes,  —  which 
often  faint  in  self-distrust.  It  has  been  one  of  my  favourite 
projects  to  produce  a  book  on  the  Theory  of  Morals,  I  have 
a  good  deal  of  material  ready,  and  doubtless  the  necessity  of 
preparing  a  course  of  lectures  by  a  given  time  would  acceler- 
ate the  preparation.  Dr.  Putnam  asked  me,  when  he  was  in 
England,  respecting  the  Lowell  Institute,  and  seemed  anxious 
to  send  me  an  invitation.  As  I  did  not  hear  more  of  it,  I  con- 
cluded that  there  were  good  grounds  for  the  abandonment  or 
rejection  of  his  idea.  Whether  it  would  be  possible  for  me,  in 
any  case,  to  absent  myself  with  clear  conscience  from  my  post 
here  would  so  greatly  depend  on  the  contingencies  present  at 
the  moment  when  the  temptation  offered  itself,  that  I  dare  not 
speak  of  more  than  my  disposition  to  give  the  most  respectful 
consideration  to  any  such  proposal  as  you  contemplate.  As  to 
the  least  impossible  times,  I  have  often  feared  I  should  never 
visit  the  United  States,  simply  because  my  only  season  of  free- 
dom is  in  the  three  hot  months  after  Midsummer,  which  might 
perhaps  be  a  little  extended  by  special  arrangement.  But  my 
duties  at  our  College  commence  properly  with  October  in  each 
year  and  continue  to  the  end  of  June.  My  congregation  allow 
me  regularly  two  months'  vacation  each  year,  and  are  always 
indulgent  to  me  in  case  of  any  unusual  exigency.  Of  the  Col- 
lege authorities  I  am  more  doubtful ;  but  probably  they  would 
not  refuse  me  an  extra  month  or  so.  Certainly  a  visit  to  your 
great  world  would  be  rich  in  interest  to  me,  private  and  public ; 
and  but  for  my  pressing  duties  and  restricted  means,  would 

293 


HOPE    STREET  [xsss 

have  been  paid  long  ago.  And  as  to  your  friendly  desire  that 
I  shDuld  carry  away  with  me  a  permanent  mark  of  recognition 
from  your  noble  University,  —  how  can  a  man  of  thoroughly 
Academic  tastes  pretend  to  be  indifferent  to  it?  To  be  an  ad- 
mitted associate  in  whatever  way  with  the  lettered  men  whose 
quiet  trust  is  in  goodness  and  wisdom,  is  the  only  ambition  of 
which  I  am  conscious.  From  my  heart  I  thank  you  for  the 
thought. 

I  read  with  lively  interest  both  your  affecting  papers,  —  the 
"  Charities  of  Boston  "  and  the  "  Literature  of  Friendship  " ; 
and  in  a  cursory  glance,  preliminary  to  a  worthier  examination, 
at  the  "  Specimens  of  Oriental  Poetry  "  can  recognise  at  once 
the  graceful  execution  of  no  easy  task.  My  eldest  son,  who  is 
a  good  Oriental  scholar,  Sanscrit,  Arabic,  Persian,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Morgenlandische  gesellschaft,  has  been  turning  over 
its  leaves  with  eager  pleasure.  I  fancy  that  with  you,  as  with 
us,  the  most  hopeful  action  on  society  has  come  to  be,  not 
through  church  organisation  and  the  direct  energies  of  a  sect, 
but  indirect  and  irrespective  of  the  lines  which  separate  reli- 
gious denominations,  through  literature,  lectures,  and  academic 
and  political  teaching.  The  Unitarians  in  their  ecclesiastical 
and  corporate  function  were  never  so  weak  and  without  prom- 
ise in  England  as  they  are  now,  —  to  all  appearance  without  a 
future  of  any  kind.  Yet  never,  perhaps,  did  they  exercise  be- 
yond themselves  an  influence  more  out  of  proportion  to  their 
small  numbers.  In  truth  the  old  distinctions  of  doctrinal  sym- 
pathy are  worn  out,  and  nothing  but  our  conservative  habits 
and  our  church  interests  prevent  the  disappearance  of  many  a 
dividing  line  and  the  rise  of  new  and  healthier  combinations. 
Your  best  men  who  visit  us  —  W.  H.  Channing,  for  instance, 
and  Mr.  Hill  of  Worcester  —  are  astonished,  I  can  perceive, 
at  the  languid  condition  of  our  congregations  and  will  carry 
home  the  report  (which  I  am  unable  to  contradict)  that  we 
are  not  far  from  death.  Yet  if  you  were  to  ask  at  Oxford  or 
Cambridge,  or  at  Journal-offices  of  any  of  the  sects,  what  the- 
ological tendency  was  most  encroaching  on  the  elder  forms  of 
faith,  they  would  one  and  all  direct  you  to  the  faith  of  Chan- 
ning and  the  younger  Unitarians.  This  anomaly  arises  no 
doubt  partly  from  the  fact  that,  as  a  body,  the  Unitarians  re- 
main quite  unpenetrated  by  the  newer  spirit  that  has  been  bom 
among  themselves ;  and  precisely  that  element  that  has  some 
power  in  the  world  is  inoperative  with  them,  and  regarded  with 
prevailing  antipathy. 

All  England  is  watching  with  intense  interest  and  sympathy 

294 


1856]  "THE    SLAVE    EMPIRE" 

the  great  struggle  of  which  Kansas  is  the  centre.  Our  domes- 
tic and  even  European  questions  are  almost  forgotten  in  the 
excitement  of  the  American  conflict.  Surely,  surely,  the  noble 
spirit  of  New  England,  the  rich  and  populous  and  educated 
and  vigorous  North,  will  rise  in  over-mastering  power  and 
sweep  away  the  daring  projects  of  a  faction  which  seems  to 
have  no  superiority  of  force  except  its  inferiority  of  principle 
and  its  unscrupulous  use  of  the  worst  passions.  I  sometimes 
fear,  as  I  watch  social  phenomena  in  Europe  and  America,  lest 
the  higher  civilisation  should  really  prove  a  political  weakness, 
and  ruder  populations  be  found  to  concentrate  within  them  the 
maximum  of  strength.  We  shall  have  to  try  that  problem  with 
Russia  and  Austria;  you,  with  your  own  South  and  South- 
west. In  neither  field  are  the  appearances  very  promising  as 
yet ;  but  the  time  of  trial  unites  a  people  in  proportion  to  their 
moral  nobleness,  and  may  give  an  unexpected  turn  to  the  bal- 
ance of  conflict.  The  Kansas  struggle  appears  to  me  to  involve 
the  future  destinies  of  the  world  more  largely  than  any  affair 
of  the  present  century. 

By  the  way,  I  ought,  before  I  close,  to  say  that  the  paper  on 
Job,  referred  to  in  the  "  Journal  "  you  sent  me,  is  not  mine  but 
Mr.  Fronde's.  Happy  as  I  am  to  be  confounded  with  such  a 
man,  I  must  not  appropriate  his  honours. 

Believe  me,  my  dear  Mr.  Alger, 

Ever  faithfully  and  gratefully  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

An  article  on  "  The  Slave  Empire  of  the  West "  was 
written  towards  the  close  of  the  year  for  the  January  num- 
ber of  the  "  National  Review."  '  In  this  he  lifts  a  warn- 
ing voice  against  "  Southern  treachery  and  aggression," 
and  enumerates  facts  which  prove  that  "  during  the  pres- 
ent century  American  slavery  has  gained  not  simply  area, 
and  numbers,  and  economical  interests,  but  a  more  terrible 
support,  —  the  dominant  sentiment  of  the  nation."  The 
politicians  of  the  South  had  it  in  contemplation  to  form  a 
vast  Slave-Empire,  and  to  turn  the  federated  continent  into 
a  house  of  bondage.  But  there  was  a  Nemesis  for  this  in- 
solence;  and  if  it  attempted  to  realise  its  own  predictions. 


Reprinted  in  Essays,  I. 

29S 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

the  Free  States  would  be  driven  to  separate,  and  the  splen- 
did visions  of  the  rest  would  vanish  in  the  double  retribu- 
tion of  civil  and  of  servile  war.  He  thus  describes  the 
immediate  prospect :  "  That  the  curse  should  recede  seems 
impossible;  and  the  only  practical  question  concerns  its 
mode  and  direction  of  advance.  If  it  becomes  aggressive 
on  the  pecidium  of  the  North,  the  Union  will  break ;  —  if  on 
the  islands  of  the  tropical  seas,  foreign  war  will  ensue ;  —  if 
on  the  African  coasts,  both  these  disasters  will  follow. 
And  in  any  of  these  cases  it  would  need  a  bold  prophet  to 
name  the  next  step;  but  the  strain  put  upon  the  South 
would  be  so  great  that  in  some  way  or  other,  more  or  less 
terrible,  the  *  Institution '  for  which  the  storm  was  braved 
would  probably  have  vanished  ere  the  clouds  were  gone." 
In  a  few  years,  though  not  in  any  of  the  ways  here  sug- 
gested, the  United  States  were  involved  in  the  clouds  of 
civil  war;  and  when  the  clouds  had  cleared  away,  slavery 
was  no  more.  This  essay  should  be  remembered  in  con- 
nection with  Mr.  Martineau's  views  during  the  Secession- 
ists' War.  Especially  we  should  notice  his  belief  that  if 
slavery  is  held  in  by  free  territories,  so  that  it  cannot  spread, 
it  must  perish  through  the  action  of  economic  causes. 

The  year  1857  was  one  of  the  most  momentous  in  Mr. 
Martineau's  life,  bringing  him  indeed  decisive  encourage- 
ment and  warm  expressions  of  trust  and  affection,  but  also 
an  amount  of  personal  misunderstanding  and  opposition 
which  deeply  wounded  his  sensitive  spirit,  and  sometimes 
extorted  from  him  momentary  cries  of  despondency.  The 
conflict  of  parties  which  was  fought  around  him  was  waged 
upon  a  small  field,  but  related  to  important  issues;  and  it 
so  deeply  affected  not  only  Mr.  Martineau's  own  prospects 
and  influence,  but  the  religious  history  of  the  body  of 
Christians  with  which  he  was  connected,  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  pass  it  over  in  silence. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  on  the  removal  of  Manches- 

296 


1857]        PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

ter  New  Colleg-e  to  London,  in  1853,  the  finances  admitted 
the  appointment  of  only  two  professorships.  The  Rev.  G. 
Vance  Smith,  who  had  been  Principal  of  the  College  in 
Manchester,  was  then  appointed  Professor  of  Critical  and 
Exegetical  Theology,  the  Evidences  of  Religion,  and  the 
Hebrew  and  Syriac  languages,  while  Mr.  Martineau  had 
the  subordinate  position  of  a  Lecturer,  and  visited  London 
periodically  for  the  fulfilment  of  his  duties.  In  the  spring 
of  1856  Mr.  Smith  thought  it  necessary  to  place  his  resig- 
nation in  the  hands  of  the  Committee,  to  take  effect  in 
June  of  the  following  year.  This  step  was  due  to  strongly 
expressed  dissatisfaction  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  stu- 
dents, with  which  Mr.  Smith's  gentle  and  diffident  nature 
did  not  qualify  him  to  cope.  The  Committee,  after  anx- 
ious inquiry,  decided  that  the  interests  of  the  College  re- 
quired them  to  accept  the  resignation.  Mr.  Martineau's 
special  line  of  study  did  not  indicate  him  as  a  fitting  occu- 
pant of  the  chair  vacated  by  Mr.  Smith ;  but  several  of  the 
most  earnest  supporters  of  the  College  believed  that  some 
rearrangement  of  the  teaching  might  be  effected  which 
would  make  it  posible  to  secure  him  as  the  second  profes- 
sor. Others,  however,  while  acknowledging  his  high  char- 
acter and  his  great  powers,  looked  with  suspicion  on  his 
views,  and  feared  his  influence.  Accordingly,  at  the  An- 
nual Meeting  of  Trustees  in  Manchester,  on  the  226.  of 
January,  1857,  it  became  apparent  that  there  were  two 
parties,  and  there  was  little  prospect  of  a  unanimous  deci- 
sion. It  was  proposed  by  Mr.  Mark  Philips  that  the  Com- 
mittee should  take  into  consideration  "  the  practicability 
of  providing  for  the  theological  and  philosophical  instruc- 
tion of  the  students  of  Manchester  New  College  by  a  re- 
distribution of  work  between  the  Principal  and  the  Rev. 
James  Martineau,  without  the  appointment  of  a  third  pro- 
fessor." This  was  met  by  an  amendment,  moved  by  the 
Rev.  Edward  Higginson,  that  a  Special  Committee,  which 

297 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

had  been  previously  apix)inted,  and  had  not  yet  reported, 
should  be  reappointed  by  the  General  Committee  for  the 
completion  of  their  functions.  After  a  long  discussion,  both 
the  resolution  and  the  amendment  were  withdrawn  in  def- 
erence to  the  general  feeling  of  the  meeting,  and  it  was 
understood  that  the  Committee  would  make  the  necessary 
appointments.  The  meeting  was  unusually  large  and  in- 
fluential, and  in  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Martineau's  friends 
the  feeling  of  a  great  majority  was  unmistakably  in  his 
favour.  Mr.  Thom,  whose  powerful  and  dignified  utter- 
ance raised  the  tone  of  every  discussion,  made  a  beautiful 
and  masterly  speech,  which  was  recognised  as  decisive. 
He  afterwards  wrote  to  Mr.  Martineau :  "  My  impression 
is  that  the  result  of  the  meeting,  though  formally  thrown 
away  by  want  of  tact  and  firmness,  must  be  altogether 
satisfactory  to  you  as  showing  that  among  our  laymen, 
and  among  any  large  number  of  our  ministers,  there  is 
no  distrust  whatever  either  of  your  opinions  or  of  your 
influence." 

On  Friday,  the  30th  of  January,  the  Committee  met. 
The  majority  believed  that  it  was  necessary  to  proceed  at 
once  to  an  election,  and  that  the  general  opinion  of  the 
Trustees  at  the  recent  meeting  was  sufficiently  clear  to 
justify  their  action.  The  discussion  turned  mainly  on  the 
first  resolution :  "  That  it  is  expedient  to  entrust  the  the- 
ological and  philosophical  instruction  of  the  College  to 
two  Professors,  instruction  in  Hebrew  being  provided  for 
by  the  Committee."  The  Rev.  R.  B.  Aspland,  one  of  the 
Honorary  Secretaries,  proposed  as  an  amendment  that  the 
subject  should  be  referred  to  a  Select  Committee.  After 
a  long  discussion  the  resolution  was  carried  by  a  large 
majority.  Other  resolutions  were  then  passed,  increas- 
ing the  salaries,  inviting  Mr.  Tayler  and  Mr.  Martineau 
to  undertake  the  duties  of  the  new  Professorships,  and 
requesting  them  "  to  prepare  and  submit  for  the  approval 

298 


X857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

of  this  Committee,  and  the  Visitors,  a  scheme  for  the 
Theological  and  Philosophical  instruction  of  the  Students 
of  Manchester  New  College,  and  for  the  due  provision  of 
instruction  in  Hebrew."  In  connection  with  the  last  clause, 
which  has  an  important  bearing  on  subsequent  events,  it 
should  be  observed  that  Mr.  Tayler,  at  the  time,  suggested 
that  the  duties  of  instruction  in  Hebrew  should  be  offered 
to  the  late  Professor.  Mr.  Smith's  friends  rejected  this 
suggestion  as  only  adding  insult  to  injury. 

The  issue  of  that  day's  discussion  was  eagerly  awaited 
by  many  who  were  looking  for  the  growth  of  a  broader 
and  more  spiritual  theology.  One  of  Mr.  Martineau's 
friends  and  pupils,  the  Rev.  T.  E.  Poynting,  wrote :  "  I 
cannot  help  writing  to  you  this  evening  to  congratulate 
you  and  myself  and  all  who  sympathise  with  the  young 
life  rising  among  us  on  what  I  consider  the  great  and 
most  auspicious  crisis  which  has  this  day  taken  place  in 
our  Unitarian  Fraternity."  He  speaks  of  the  "  kindling 
eye "  and  "  the  deep  murmurs  of  sympathy "  which  ac- 
companied Mr.  Thom's  speech  at  the  Trustees'  meeting, 
and,  with  affectionate  boldness,  he  implores  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau  to  cast  himself  on  the  Unitarian  people  "with  more 
generous  reliance,"  assuring  him  that  the  young  people 
everywhere,  and  many  of  the  old,  are  in  sympathy  with 
his  deeper  and  more  spiritual  views  of  religion. 

It  now  devolved  upon  the  Professors  to  prepare  a  scheme 
for  the  future  arrangement  of  the  work.  In  providing  for 
the  Hebrew,  Mr.  Tayler  thought  it  would  be  a  conciliatory 
measure  to  nominate  Mr.  Smith.  Mr.  Martineau  felt  very 
strongly  that  in  existing  circumstances  this  would  be  an 
unwise  step,  and  place  in  jeopardy  the  future  interests  of 
the  College;  and  therefore  he  was  unable  to  assent  to  it. 
It  is  needless  to  refer  to  his  reasons;  but  it  is  clear  that 
as  one  of  two  gentlemen  who  were  preparing  a  joint 
scheme,  he  was  not  only  within  his  right,  but  could  not 

299 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

avoid  the  expression  of  his  opinion.  Accordingly,  as  they 
were  acting  together,  it  was  understood  that  both  were 
debarred  from  making  this  particular  recommendation. 
Mr.  Tayler  also  learned  that  Mr.  Smith's  own  friends 
were  averse  to  the  proposal,  and  under  the  twofold  pres- 
sure he  relinquished  the  idea.  This  will  be  referred  to 
more  fully  in  another  connection. 

On  the  20th  of  February  the  Committee  received  from 
IMr.  Tayler  and  Mr.  Martineau  the  acceptance  of  their 
invitation,  together  with  a  suggested  scheme  of  studies. 
The  scheme  was  referred  back  to  them  and  to  Mr.  Ken- 
rick,  the  Visitor,  for  further  consideration.  No  recom- 
mendation was  yet  made  in  regard  to  Hebrew;  but  in 
order  to  make  provision  for  it,  Mr,  Tayler  generously  re- 
fused to  accept  a  proposed  increase  of  his  salary.  The 
selection  of  a  nominee  for  the  Hebrew  tutorship  was  left 
to  the  Principal  and  the  Visitor.  The  Rev.  R.  B.  Aspland, 
being  dissatisfied  with  the  course  of  events,  resigned  his 
secretaryship,  and  the  Rev.  Charles  Beard  was  appointed 
in  his  place. 

Having  accepted  the  invitation  from  Manchester  New 
College,  Mr.  Martineau  believed  that  his  future  was  now 
pledged  by  an  irrevocable  engagement,  and  on  the  very 
day  on  which  the  Committee  met  he  wrote  a  letter  resign- 
ing his  ministry  in  Liverpool. 

The  sense  of  security  was  soon  dispelled.  On  the  same 
day  on  which  the  resignation  of  his  pulpit  had  been  com- 
pleted and  accepted,  he  heard  from  Mr.  Tayler  ^  that  a 
protest  against  the  new  arrangements,  to  which  some  very 
respectable  names  were  attached,  was  in  course  of  signa- 
ture in  London  and  in  the  country.  Mr.  Tayler  was  so 
disheartened  that  he  avowed  "  an  irresistible  inclination 
to  retire  .  .  .  into  studious  privacy."    He  had  already  been 

1  The  letter  is  printed  in  "  Letters,  embracing  his  Life,  of  John  James  Tay- 
ler, B.  A.,"  edited  by  J.  H.  Thom,  1S72,  IL  p.  60  sqq. 

300 


1857]        PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

induced,  not  without  difficulty,  to  destroy  one  letter  of 
resignation,  and  to  recall  another,  and  deputations  had 
twice  gone  to  him  from  Manchester  to  confirm  him  in  his 
engagement  to  the  College.  Mr.  Martineau  saw  at  a 
glance  that  his  colleague's  resignation  would  produce 
hopeless  complications;  and  he  appealed  earnestly  to  Mr. 
Thom  to  use  his  powerful  influence,  his  "  firmness,  tact, 
and  vast  moral  weight,"  to  prevent  complete  shipwreck. 
He  believed  that  the  opposition  would  reveal  its  small 
dimensions,  and  die  innocuously  away.  For  himself,  if 
he  could  see  that  dissension  would  be  saved,  and  unity  re- 
stored, by  his  retirement,  he  would  not  hold  on  for  an 
hour.  But  such  a  crisis  could  not  be  evaded  by  mere 
shrinking,  and  it  brought  duties  which  faithful  men  might 
not  decline  for  the  sake  of  peace.  It  seemed  evident  that 
all  the  elements  of  their  future,  the  youth,  the  intellect, 
the  earnestness,  even  the  wealth,  of  their  religious  body, 
were  friendly  to  what  had  been  done,  and  it  was  the  body 
of  retreating  influences  that  was  against  them.  In  these 
circumstances  there  would  be  a  betrayal  of  trust  and  hope 
in  hasty  surrender.  He  had  therefore  told  Mr.  Tayler 
that  they  ought  to  give  no  heed  to  these  movements,  but 
leave  themselves  in  the  hands  of  the  College  authorities, 
who  might  be  trusted  to  defend  their  own  acts.-^ 

The  language  of  the  protest,  which  was  published  in 
the  next  number  of  "  The  Christian  Reformer,"  is  per- 
fectly courteous,  and  contains  no  traces  of  personal  ani- 
mosity. It  does  not  ask  for  any  reversal  of  the  decision 
arrived  at,  but  simply  places  on  record  the  disapproval  of 
the  recent  proceedings  of  the  Committee  which  was  felt 
by  some  of  the  Trustees.  The  grounds  of  protest  are 
stated  in  five  paragraphs,  and  are  briefly  these:  that  the 
Committee    came    to    their    decision    without    considering 


1  From  a  letter  to  Mr.  Thom,  Feb.  22,  1857. 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

other  plans;  that  the  language  and  criticism  of  the  Old 
Testament  formed  no  part  of  the  course  of  the  Theo- 
logical Professors;  that  the  courses  on  the  Evidences  of 
Natural  and  Revealed  Religion  were  given  to  separate 
Professors,  and  that  their  instruction  in  this  subject  would 
not  secure  general  confidence,  or  adequately  meet  the  re- 
quirements of  students  for  the  Christian  ministry;  that 
the  new  arrangement  did  not  bear  out  the  plea  of  financial 
necessity ;  and  that,  notwithstanding  "  the  great  talents, 
high  character  and  eminent  services "  of  the  gentlemen 
who  had  been  appointed,  there  were  serious  objections  to 
their  being  the  only  teachers  of  theology  in  the  College, 
for  they  were  "  both  known  to  belong  to  one  school  of  re- 
ligious thought,"  and  consequently  a  considerable  propor- 
tion of  the  religious  body  would  feel  that  their  views  were 
shut  out  from  a  fair  representation.  This  protest  ulti- 
mately obtained  the  signatures  of  about  seventy  Trustees, 
including  five  members  of  the  Committee,  and  some  of  Mr. 
Martineau's  oldest  friends,  —  the  Revs.  Thomas  Madge, 
Edward  Higginson,  Samuel  Bache,  Edward  Tagart. 

Mr.  Thorn  and  some  others  thought  that  Mr.  Tayler 
took  the  protest  too  much  to  heart,  and  tried,  not  without 
success,  to  strengthen  his  purpose.  He  resolved  to  make 
no  independent  move,  but  to  abide  by  the  decision  of  a 
majority.  Yet  he  writes  on  the  ist  of  March:  "I  wish 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  were  at  liberty  to  resign  " ; 
and  again,  on  the  7th  of  April :  "  Sick  and  weary  as  I  am 
of  the  strifes  and  jealousies  of  a  petty  sectarian  existence, 
I  should  not  be  sorry  to  devote  the  remnant  of  my  days 
to  the  peace  and  freedom  of  a  studious  but  not  inactive 
retirement."  ^  These  words  show  how  serious  the  prob- 
able effect  of  the  protest  appeared  at  one  time  to  be,  how 
great  was  the  tension  of  feeling  among  the  supporters  of 


*  Letters,  II.  p.  64  and  70. 

302 


1857]        PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

the  College,  and  how  difificult  it  was  for  Mr.  Martineau 
to  act  firmly  in  accordance  with  his  own  view  of  the  re- 
quirements of  the  case.  The  considerations  which  agi- 
tated him  at  this  time  are  described,  amidst  other  matter, 
in  the  following  letter  to  the  Rev.  W.  R.  Alger :  — 

Liverpool,  Feb.  27,  1857. 

My  dear  Mr.  Alger, —  .  .  .  Mr.  Lowell  has  conferred  on 
me  the  honour  of  an  invitation  to  the  Institute.  But  I  greatly 
fear  it  will  not  be  in  my  power  to  accept  it  this  year;  though 
I  have  written  to  inquire  from  him  certain  details  on  which 
the  decision  may  hang, — viz.,  the  precise  earliest  date  at  which 
the  Lecture  season  begins,  and  the  frequency  with  which  the 
Lectures  may  be  given.  Your  fancy  sketch  of  the  visit  is  as- 
suredly most  delightful,  —  far  more  than  sufficient  to  remove 
every  doubt  that  my  will  can  reach.  But  since  I  last  wrote,  a 
great  change  has  come  over  my  future  and  altered  all  the  ele- 
ments of  my  calculations.  I  have  resigned  the  pulpit  which  I 
have  occupied  for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  and  have  joined  my 
friend  Mr.  J.  J.  Tayler  in  accepting  the  entire  charge  of  our 
only  Theological  College,  —  the  Manchester  New  College, 
London.  The  removal  to  London  taking  place  at  the  begin- 
ning of  August,  and  the  Session  opening  with  October,  I 
fear  that  no  visit  to  Boston  could  be  interposed,  even  though 
a  little  slice  were  stolen  from  October  to  make  more  room. 
The  circumstances  under  which  the  new  office  devolves  on  me 
preclude  me  from  asking  for  any  unusual  privilege.  The  de- 
livery of  the  College  into  our  hands  marks  a  theological  crisis 
in  our  body;  and  though  carried  by  an  overwhelming  majority, 
containing  the  chief  elements  of  our  future,  —  our  youth,  our 
culture,  and  even  our  wealth,  —  is  disliked  and  resisted  by  a 
highly  conscientious  and  respectable  minority,  attached  to  the 
elder  Unitarianism,  and  suffering  from  Germanophobia.  With 
a  little  patience  and  tenderness  towards  honest  scruples  and 
mistrusts,  the  air  will  soon  clear  again ;  perhaps  to  be  brighter 
than  before.  But  meanwhile  the  time  demands  a  peculiar 
fidelity,  and  is  not  seasonable  for  any  special  license. 

You  may  suppose  that  no  slight  struggle  is  involved  in  this 
retirement  from  the  active  ministry  among  an  attached  people 
and  amid  the  fairest  surroundings  of  Church  and  Home  into 
a  much  poorer  and  less  honoured  lot  in  the  heart  of  the  great 
Metropolis.  All  judicious  critics  are  sure  to  wonder  at  me  and 
condemn ;  nor  have  I  any  reasons  that  would  stop  the  shaking 

303 


PIOPE    STREET  [1857 

of  such  wise  heads.  But  somehow  an  irresistible  sense  of  a 
i'lDvidcntial  meaning-  in  this  o])portunity  has  possessed  me. 
To  f^^o  scorned  to  solve  many  pu])lic  difficulties  and  to  entail  only 
private  inconvenience.  To  stay  seemed  safer  on  p^rounds  of 
r  irrow  prudence;  but  might  have  opened  an  endless  tangle  of 
public  diflicultics,  and  would  have  thrown  back  into  despond- 
ency the  best  spirit  of  the  rising  time  amongst  us.  Studious 
work,  too,  is  congenial  to  me ;  my  colleague  is  a  thoroughly 
like-minded  and  most  accomplished  friend ;  with  the  student- 
class  I  have  peculiar  sympathy,  and  to  spend  the  remaining 
years  of  active  life  in  preparing  from  among  them  faithful 
guides  of  the  next  generation  seems  no  unworthy  outlay  of 
one's  experience. 

W.  H.  Channing  returns  home  in  August ;  —  carrying  with 
him  hence  the  imiversal  affection  of  his  English  hearers  and 
neighbours.    Rarely  have  I  found  so  faultless  a  heart,  so  trust- 
ful a  soul,  or  a  mind  so  purely  yearning  for  truth  and  good. 
Believe  me  ever,  dear  Mr.  Alger, 

Most  faithfully  and  heartily  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

The  members  of  the  Committee,  though  less  painfully, 
were  more  immediately  implicated  in  the  protest  than  the 
Professors;  for  it  was  the  propriety  of  their  proceedings 
which  was  challenged.  They  of  course  determined  to 
stand  loyally  by  the  men  whom  they  had  deliberately 
chosen;  and  on  the  4th  of  March  they  issued  a  circular 
begging  the  Trustees  to  suspend  their  judgment  till  they 
received  a  Special  Report  which  the  Committee  intended 
to  send  to  every  Trustee,  containing  "  an  authentic  and 
accurate  statement  of  its  proceedings,  and  the  present 
position  of  affairs."  Letters  of  encouragement  were  dis- 
patched to  the  Professors,  assuring  them  of  the  earnestness 
with  which  they  were  supported.  The  desirability  of  sum- 
moning a  general  meeting  of  Trustees,  to  pass  a  vote  of 
approbation  or  of  censure  on  the  Committee,  was  at  this 
time  left  undecided.  Mr.  R.  N.  Philips  was  strongly  in 
favour  of  this  course.     His  vigorous  liberalism  was  roused 

304 


18571       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

by  what  had  taken  place,  and  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Martineau: 
"  I  bitterly  regret  the  narrow-minded  feeling  of  our  body. 
I  am  sure  the  sooner  we  bring  the  matter  before  the  whole 
body  the  better,  and  let  those  who  hate  and  envy  you  and 
call  themselves  Christian  ministers  show  themselves  in  the 
true  light.  We  all  feel  deeply  for  you  and  your  family. 
It  is  not  our  fault  you  are  persecuted.  Persecution,  it 
seems  to  me,  will  last  for  ever,  and  cant  and  humbug  dwell 
with  it."  These  words  show  that  feeling  was  beginning 
to  reach  a  dangerous  temperature;  for  it  would  be  unjust 
to  suppose  that  many  of  the  protesters  were  moved  by 
hatred  and  envy.  Some  of  them  had  signed  with  great 
reluctance,  and  even  the  persecutor,  however  mistaken, 
may  act  under  a  sense  of  duty.  Mr.  Thom,  who  at  this 
time  was  staying  at  Torquay,  was  strongly  opposed  to 
summoning  a  special  meeting.  He  thought  the  protest 
was  a  breach  of  contract;  for  the  Trustees  would  have 
decided  the  question  at  their  meeting  in  January  if  some 
of  the  protesters  had  not  pleaded  that  the  whole  question 
should  rest  with  the  Committee.  They  were  now  protest- 
ing against  the  decision  of  the  tribunal  of  their  own  choice; 
and  if  the  Committee  called  a  meeting,  they  would  say  that 
that  was  not  their  doing ;  their  protest  was  to  deliver  their 
own  souls,  and  was  not  intended  to  have  any  further  ac- 
tion. To  call  a  meeting,  then,  would  be  playing  their 
game,  whereas,  if  they  were  left  alone,  the  whole  affair 
would  dwindle  and  die  away.  This  opinion  was  likely  to 
prevail  when,  on  the  12th  of  March,  a  step  was  taken  by 
the  Committee  which  seemed  to  Mr.  Martineau  to  give  a 
new  and  unexpected  authority  to  the  protest.  The  Com- 
mittee was  largely  attended,  and  almost  unanimous  in 
adopting  the  amended  scheme  of  studies  and  the  Special 
Report  which  was  to  be  issued  to  the  Trustees.  Mr.  Asp- 
land  declared  that  he  looked  upon  the  steps  which  had  been 
taken  as  irrevocable,  and  professed  himself  sincerely  anx- 
20  305 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

ious  that  they  should  result  in  the  good  of  the  College. 
The  protest  was  looked  upon  as  a  final  act ;  and  one  of 
the  Secretaries,  the  Rev.  Charles  Beard,  wrote  enthusias- 
tically to  Mr.  Martineau,  congratulating  him  on  the  ter- 
mination of  the  protracted  hostilities.  But  he  did  not 
mention  that  the  protest  had  been  received,  and  entered 
on  the  minutes.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Martineau  heard  of  this, 
he  felt  that  an  official  importance  had  been  given  to  the 
protest  which  it  had  not  previously  enjoyed,  and  that  no- 
thing but  a  public  vote  of  confidence  could  now  justify  him 
in  maintaining  his  position.  At  the  same  meeting  two  of 
the  protesters  had  requested  the  Committee  to  take  a  poll 
of  the  Trustees  by  circular,  and,  in  thus  asking  them  to 
break  an  engagement  which  was  publicly  known  to  be 
complete,  indicated  a  confidence  in  the  general  feeling 
which  made  the  opposition  too  formidable  to  be  treated  with 
neglect.  So  firmly  was  Mr.  Martineau  convinced  of  this 
that  on  the  17th  of  March  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Thom  that  he 
had  lost  confidence  in  the  executive,  the  one  only  reliance 
which  he  had  felt  to  be  secure,  and  that  if,  as  he  antici- 
pated, Mr.  Tayler  agreed  with  him,  they  would  place  their 
offices  at  the  disposal  of  the  Committee  at  once.  He  was 
entreated  to  pause,  and  assured  that  the  placing  of  the  pro- 
test on  the  minutes  had  no  significance,  but  simply  com- 
plied with  the  custom  of  entering  whatever  was  read  before 
the  Committee.  He  seems  now  to  have  stood  almost  alone ; 
for  even  those  of  his  supporters  who  were  most  confident 
that  the  weight  of  public  opinion  was  on  their  side  were 
doubtful  of  the  result  of  a  meeting  which  the  opposition 
might  make  a  point  of  attending  in  force.  Even  his  friend 
Mr.  Thom,  while  deeming  the  reception  of  the  protest  by 
the  Committee  "  monstrously  absurd,"  did  not  think  that 
it  had  thereby  acquired  "  the  slightest  new  weight  or  sig- 
nificance." However,  he  remained  firm  in  his  conviction 
that  the  protest  was  a  warning  notice  of  future  opposition, 

306 


1857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

and  the  beginning  rather  than  the  end  of  strife;  and  al- 
though his  colleague  was  of  a  different  opinion,  and  would 
not  join  in  his  action,  he  wrote  on  the  31st  of  March  to 
the  Rev.  W.  Gaskell,  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee, 
recalling  the  circumstances  of  his  engagement,  and  the 
existence  of  a  protest  whereby  a  doubt  was  raised  which 
needed  to  be  set  at  rest  by  distinct  and  positive  evidence. 
He  therefore  prayed  the  Committee  to  dissipate  all  doubt 
by  convening  a  special  meeting  of  Trustees,  or  else  to  re- 
lieve him  of  a  task  which  had  lost  its  conditions  of  security 
and  success.  The  Committee  met  on  the  3d  of  April, 
and  passed  a  resolution  that  a  special  meeting  of  Trustees 
should  be  held  in  Manchester  on  Thursday,  the  i6th  of 
April,  at  12  o'clock,  "  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  and 
adopting,  or  otherwise,  the  Special  Report  of  the  Com- 
mittee, dated  the  12th  of  March,  1857."  At  the  same 
time,  in  order  to  obviate  any  mischievous  results  of  their 
previous  action,  they  adopted  a  resolution  declaring  that 
the  protest  had  been  placed  upon  the  minutes  as  an  histori- 
cal record  of  the  opinion  of  Trustees,  and  with  a  view  of 
conciliating  the  feelings  of  a  minority  of  the  Committee, 
and  that  it  was  not  to  be  construed  into  a  precedent. 

Mr.  Martineau's  state  of  mind,  and  the  reasons  which 
determined  his  judgment,  are  indicated  in  the  following 
letters : — 

TO  REV.  C.  BEARD. 

Liverpool,  March  19,  1S57. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  ...  I  am  fully  convinced  of  the  firm  re- 
solve prevailing  in  the  Committee  to  uphold  the  arrangement 
which  their  Special  Report  so  ably  vindicates.  Were  the  mo- 
ment less  critical,  I  should  leave  everything  with  entire  trust 
in  the  hands  of  others.  But  we  are  at  a  juncture  which  may 
attach  heavy  penalties  to  the  slightest  mistake ;  and  to  refrain 
from  noting  the  signs  and  sources  of  danger  would  hardly  be 
faithful.  The  impression  now  sedulously  circulated  through 
the  country  is  this :  that  the  Committee  has  perpetrated  a  high- 
handed act  of  Executive  power,  legitimate  in  form,  but  at  vari- 

307 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

ance  with  the  predominant  wish  of  their  constituents.  This  is 
honestly  believed  by  a  vast  proportion  of  the  Trustees,  —  even 
of  those  who  themselves  would  approve  of  the  arrangement 
made.  To  this  prevalent  belief  we  have  absolutely  no  produ- 
cible fact  to  oppose ;  and  the  Protest  with  its  seventy  names  has 
the  whole  visible  field  of  the  constituency  to  itself.  It  is  use- 
less appealing  to  the  feeling  of  the  last  Annual  Meeting,  for  it 
was  not  put  to  the  test  of  a  vote.  .  .  .  Since  that  opportunity 
of  testing  the  outside  feeling  was  missed,  the  Committee  has 
acted  on  its  own  responsibility,  manifesting  the  utmost  energy, 
tact,  and  temper,  and  the  fullest  assurance  of  enjoying  the 
public  confidence ;  but  still  with  no  available  answer  to  the 
charge  of  totally  mistaking  the  wishes  of  the  constituent  body. 

The  taunt  implied  in  the  demand  of  Mr.  and  Mr.  , 

that  the  Committee  dare  not  poll  the  Trustees,  is  surely  not 
of  a  kind  safe  to  be  left  without  any  reply,  and  with  the  whole 
show  of  force  on  its  side.  A  reader  of  the  Minute-book  fifty 
years  hence  could  find  no  evidence  that  an  unwelcome  plan  had 
not  been  thrust  down  the  throats  of  the  Trustees  by  a  small  but 
resolute  Executive. 


The  very  dangers  said  to  be  incident  to  a  further  appeal 
aflFect  me  as  confirming  proofs  that  the  step  should  be  taken. 
If  the  requisite  moral  force  for  sustaining  the  Committee's 
plan  cannot  be  produced  and  exhibited  with  an  emphasis  suffi- 
cient to  discourage  disaffection,  the  plan  wants  security  of 
base,  and  may  be  undermined  by  the  persevering  drip  of  hos- 
tile criticism.  The  Committee  occupies  the  most  powerful  van- 
tage ground ;  its  right  is  unimpeachable ;  its  measures  most 
conscientiously  taken  and  now  most  efficiently  expounded  and 
justified ;  its  plan  no  longer  a  project,  but  iin  fait  accompli;  its 
opponents  in  a  false  and  unconstitutional  position ;  the  Annual 
Meeting,  whence  everything  sprung,  still  recent  and  susceptible 
of  only  limited  falsification. 

If,  with  these  advantages,  an  overwhelming  sanction  cannot 
be  got,  it  can  only  be  because  the  protesters,  and  not  we,  have 
correctly  estimated  the  feeling  of  our  body.     In  that  case,  the 
sooner  we  know  the  fact  and  succumb  to  it,  the  better. 
Ever,  my  dear  Sir, 

Yours  faithfully, 

James  Martineau. 


308 


1857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 


TO   REV.   W.   R.   ALGER. 

LivKRPOOL,  April  3,  1857. 

My  dear  Mr.  Alger,  —  I  fancy  you  must  have  heard  from 
me  immediately  on  the  dispatch  of  your  letter  of  the  13th. 
My  note,  however,  contained  nothing  requiring  an  answer ;  but 
it  has,  I  trust,  informed  you  more  exactly  of  the  posture  of 
affairs  here  than  the  scanty  notices  in  the  "  Inquirer." 

Let  me,  however,  first  clear  my  conscience  by  a  distinct  an- 
swer to  your  inquiries.  I  fear  that  a  miscellaneous  collection 
of  my  papers,^  such  as  you  propose,  will  be  too  deficient  in 
unity  to  form  a  really  serviceable  book,  and  will  put  to  severe 
test  the  consistency  in  which  sober-minded  critics  say  I  am 
quite  wanting.  However,  if  you  and  others  think  there  is  any 
good  to  be  done  by  a  volume  so  made  up,  all  its  elements  are 
at  your  disposal.  For  sympathy  from  like-minded  men  I  care, 
perhaps,  too  much ;  for  mere  reputation,  the  least  possible,  and 
not  at  all  for  reputation  against  or  without  facts.  So,  if  I  con- 
tradict myself,  let  it  all  come  out;  it  will  but  make  the  need 
usefully  felt  of  the  inner  middle  term  which  is  to  harmonise 
the  opposites.  I  am  amused  at  your  proposing  to  wind  up  with 
my  youthful  sermon,  "  Peace  in  Division."  But  to  "  acknow- 
ledge the  sins  of  one's  youth  "  is  an  indispensable  part  of  the 
penitence  of  age ;  and  so  I  will  stand  at  the  Church  door  in 
any  white  sheet  that  you  choose  to  put  upon  me. 

As  to  the  Transatlantic  visit,  I  still  know  not  what  to  say. 
The  only  fixed  point  as  yet  discernible  in  the  near  future  is, 
that  we  leave  Liverpool ;  my  congregation  having  been  re- 
signed and  my  house  sold  on  the  first  acceptance  of  my  London 
post.  Since  that  time,  however,  such  a  theological  uproar  has 
been  raised  by  the  Old-School  men  about  the  appointment  of 
Mr.  Tayler  and  myself,  that  it  has  become  necessary  to  put  to 
the  test  the  real  feeling  of  the  supporters  of  the  College;  and 
I  do  not  intend  to  enter  upon  my  new  duties  unless  assured, 
by  a  distinct  vote,  taken  at  a  meeting  convened  for  the  pur- 
pose, that  a  hearty  confidence  is  reposed  by  the  constituent 
body,  as  well  as  by  the  Committee,  in  the  new  plan  and  the 
new  Professors.  Upon  the  issue  of  that  meeting  much  will 
hang ;  —  not  a  little  as  to  the  future  of  our  religious  body  in 


1  This  refers  to  "  Studies  of  Christianity,"  brought  out  in  the  following  year 
by  Mr.  Alger. 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

England;  —  still  more  as  to  the  remainder  of  my  own  life. 
Should  the  new  arrangement  be  powerfully  confirmed,  it  will 
fix  me  henceforth  in  London  to  very  congenial  work.  Should 
the  arrangement  be  disapproved,  the  decision  will  amount  to 
a  vote  of  expulsion  on  the  score  of  heresy  from  our  religious 
connexion  in  England ;  and,  in  that  case,  I  know  not  whether 
I  may  not  appear  as  a  suppliant  for  asylum  in  the  New  World. 
The  crisis  is  in  reality  much  more  serious  than  could  be  gath- 
ered from  any  public  symptom;  for  our  English  reticence 
keeps  back  a  great  deal.  The  old  Unitarianism  is  already 
struck  with  inevitable  and  visible  death ;  and  the  question 
simply  is,  whether  it  will  take  up  or  whether  it  will  throw  off 
the  young  life  intellectual  and  spiritual  which  is  ready,  if  per- 
mitted, to  accept  its  consecration  from  the  elders'  hands  and 
make  no  breach  of  succession,  but  which,  if  rejected  and  dis- 
allowed, will  disperse  itself  for  action  among  other  churches, 
where  Faith  and  Love  are  strong  and  Thought  itself  more 
truly  catholic. 

I  have  read  with  deep  interest  your  graceful  tribute  to  Dr. 
Kane.  The  pride  of  a  nation  in  such  a  man  is  surely  one  of 
God's  benignest  inspirations,  —  on  a  small  scale,  a  very  reli- 
gion, pure  and  undefiled. 

Ever,  my  dear  Mr,  Alger, 

Yours  most  faithfully, 

James  Martineau. 

TO   REV.  J.   H.  THOM. 

Liverpool,  April  6,  1857. 

My  dear  Friend, — You  will  have  seen  by  this  time,  through 
the  College  Circular,  that  my  misgivings  are  to  incur  the  re- 
sponsibility of  a  Special  Meeting.  It  has  been  with  the  great- 
est reluctance  that  I  have  pressed  this  matter  beyond  the  line 
at  which  several  of  my  best  friends  would  have  had  me  rest. 
But  there  was  no  peace  for  me  or  hopefulness  of  spirit,  without 
putting  an  end  to  the  indeterminate  state  in  which  facts  at 
present  lie.  And  even  could  I  have  been  guided  by  opinions, 
they  were  greatly  divided,  even  in  London,  notwithstanding 
Tayler's  report,  given  from  his  partial  means  of  observation. 
His  impressions  are  derived  very  much  from  a  particular 
coterie,  influenced  by  the  London  members  of  the  Committee, 
at  whose  instigation  the  Protest  was  put  upon  the  minutes. 
They  do  not  know  the  spirit  which  animates  a  certain  resolute 
section  of  the  protesters,  and  which  finds  in  every  part  of  the 

310 


1857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

country  agencies  to  propagate  it.  Quite  agreeing  with  you 
that  everyone  present  on  22(\  January  at  Cross  Street  was  in 
honour  bound  by  the  Committee's  proceedings,  I  see  that  the 
obHgation  is  not  acknowledged,  and  is  in  fact  destitute  of  all 
reliable  operation.  The  responsibility  of  calling  people  from  all 
parts  of  the  country  on  such  an  occasion  is  serious  and  oppres- 
sive to  me.  But  nothing  short  of  this,  I  am  persuaded,  can 
rescue  the  College,  and  even  our  whole  religious  body,  from 
ruinous  dissensions  and  uncertainties  for  years  to  come.  If 
the  arrangement  is  disallowed  and  I  am  removed,  I  cannot  but 
accept  the  decision  as  an  expulsion  from  our  religious  con- 
nexion in  England,  and  seek  a  home  in  America  before  the 
autumn  closes  in.  If  the  arrangement  is  confirmed,  the  meet- 
ing which  pronounces  in  its  favour  may  exercise  —  if  it  be 
sufficiently  emphatic  and  high-toned  —  a  decisive  and  benefi- 
cent influence  over  our  whole  ecclesiastical  future;  scaring 
conclusively  away  into  holes  and  corners  whatever  is  mean 
and  narrow ;  calling  out  into  hope  the  young  spirit  of  a  better 
time;  and  pledging  the  manly  honour  of  our  laymen  (even 
where  they  are  indifferent  to  all  theological  issues)  to  main- 
tain open  the  course  of  religious  development  and  unarrested 
learning.  You  see,  dear  friend,  what  I  would  be  at,  all  this 
will  chiefly  depend  on  you;  without  whom  the  meeting,  how- 
ever composed  and  organised,  would  want  its  soul.  You  are 
at  a  horrible  distance  from  Manchester,  and  may  well  feel 
savage  at  my  disturbance  of  your  repose.  But  though  I  am 
the  accidental  occasion,  the  real  stake  is  something  far  greater, 
involving  indirectly  the  well-being  of  our  inherited  trust  as  a 
distinctive  section  of  the  Christian  Church.  With  the  numbers 
and  attendance  at  the  meeting  I  shall  in  no  way  concern  my- 
self, leaving  the  matter  altogether  in  the  hands  of  the  Com- 
mittee. But  seeing  how  very  much  may  depend  on  its  spirit, 
I  cannot  help  expressing  an  anxiety  for  just  the  one  thing 
needful  to  secure  its  right  tone.  .  .  . 
With  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Thorn, 
Ever,  dear  friend, 

Affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

In  reply  to  the  last  letter,  Mr.  Thorn  expressed  his  de- 
termination, at  whatever  inconvenience,  to  be  present  on 
the  1 6th.  But  he  greatly  regretted  the  necessity  for  open 
conflict,  and  feared  that  victory,  on  whichever  side  it  might 

311 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

be,  could  not  be  without  wounds  and  scars.  **  Indeed," 
he  says,  "  one  of  the  things  that  perplexes  me  most  is  how 
to  deal  with  such  an  occasion,  —  and  whether  one  ought 
to  repress  the  unmeasured  reprehension  which  would  be 
the  natural  way  of  treating  the  protesters.  The  mildest 
words,  that  only  truly  reveal  the  nature  of  the  case,  must 
be  severe,  and  must  be  felt  to  be  such." 

TO   REV.   J.   H.   THOM. 

Liverpool,  April  13,  1857. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  This  is  indeed  a  cruel  wrench,  to  tear 
away,  not  only  yourself,  but  Mrs.  Thom  from  your  retreat, 
before  the  spring  has  opened  its  clear  skies  upon  you,  and 
fling  you  into  our  Northern  storms  again.  I  cannot  resist  the 
temptation  to  send  a  few  words  to  meet  you  at  Birmingham ; 
though  I  have  really  nothing  more  to  communicate  or  suggest 
about  the  meeting  on  Thursday.  I  hear  from  my  brother-in- 
law  at  Wakefield  that  —  against  his  wish  and  advice  —  the 
protesters  have  determined  to  attend  in  force  and  maintain 
their  ground ;  and  he  writes  to  me  to  deprecate  my  surprise  at 
his  following  his  party,  public  duty  requiring  that  they  should 
act  together.  It  is  evident,  therefore,  that  there  will  be  a  trial 
of  strength. 

It  is  late  now  to  speak  of  the  question  whether  this  meeting 
was  called  for  by  the  exigencies  of  the  case.  But  I  naturally 
shrink  from  the  responsibility  I  incur,  when  its  justification  is 
rested  merely  on  the  fact  of  my  personal  apprehensions ;  and 
feel  anxious  that  those  apprehensions  should  not  appear  quite 

gratuitous  and  unreasonable.     I  think  Mr.  ,  whose  former 

opinion  was  against  the  Committee  originating  a  meeting  on 
their  ozvn  account  and  taking  the  initiative  in  suggesting  inse- 
curity, is  now  fully  convinced  of  the  sufficiency  of  the  grounds 
on  which  I  have  acted.    When  he  gave  his  first  opinion  .  .  .  , 

the  Protest  had  not  been  put  upon  the  Minutes ;  and  Mr. 

had  not  demanded  a  poll  of  the  Trustees  by  circular.  The  char- 
acter of  this  last  step  seems  to  me,  I  must  say,  to  justify  any 
degree  of  distrust  I  might  feel  in  the  honour  of  the  minority 
and  the  consequent  repose  of  the  arrangement.  .  .  .  Most  truly 
do  you  say  that  the  simplest  statement  of  facts  in  this  case  in- 
volves inculpations  most  painful  to  make.  I  only  dwell  on  this 
point  now,  in  order  to  excuse  my  feeling  of  uneasiness  and 
insecurity,  notwithstanding  the  perfect  regularity  of  all  pro- 

312 


X857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

ceedings,  and  my  entire  confidence  in  the  existing-  Committee. 
How  could  I  help  fearing  that  there  were  opponents  who, 
under  the  influence  of  theological  antipathy,  regarded  no  en- 
gagement as  conclusive,  and  who  were  confident  of  support 
(else  they  would  not  have  sought  a  poll)  from  the  great  body 
of  the  Trustees?  I  have  not  in  my  heart  (if  I  know  myself) 
the  slightest  personal  anger  in  this  matter,  and  should  rejoice 
to  see  the  needful  stability  secured  at  the  smallest  cost  of  dis- 
quiet. But  I  certainly  think  it  is  due  to  the  public  moral  sense, 
that  confused  and  passionate  conduct  should  be  brought  out 
into  the  clear  light  and  seen  to  be  precisely  what  it  is. 

The  supporters  of  the  College  were  now  thoroughly 
roused,  and  everyone  felt  that  a  decisive  conflict  of  prin- 
ciple was  at  hand.  On  the  9th  of  April  the  Rev.  T.  E. 
Poynting  issued  a  printed  letter  to  the  Trustees,  calling 
attention  to  the  importance  of  the  crisis;  indicating  the 
principle  in  accordance  with  which  the  College  selected  its 
teachers,  paying  respect  only  to  their  learning,  ability,  and 
moral  and  religious  character,  while  ignoring  the  distinc- 
tion of  peculiar  schools;  and  finally  declaring  that  the 
objection  which  had  been  raised  rested  on  a  misconception 
of  the  Professors'  views.  Mr.  Edwin  \V.  Field,  the  well- 
known  lawyer,  saw  most  clearly  the  issue  which  was  in- 
volved, and  wrote  to  his  friends,  urging  them,  at  whatever 
inconvenience,  to  attend  the  meeting.  His  opinion  has  the 
greater  weight,  because  he  avowed  himself  "  by  no  means 
a  Martineauite,  but  an  old-fashioned  Priestleyite."  He 
took  the  constitutional  ground,  and  deemed  it  to  be  irrele- 
vant to  ask  whether  the  Committee  had  judged  rightly  or 
wrongly  in  the  selection  which  they  had  made.  The  Trust 
required  the  funds  to  be  distributed  only  as  a  majority 
of  Trustees  assembled  at  a  meeting  should  determine,  or 
should  appoint  a  Committee  to  determine;  and  if  these 
protests  ab  extra  were  to  be  fired  ofif  at  their  acts,  the  con- 
cern would  be  blown  up  and  destroyed.  He  says :  "  It  is, 
I  think,  clear  the  Committee  could  not  listen  to  imputa- 

313 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

tions  as  to  creed.  .  .  .  The  matter  is  vital  beyond  doubt, 
independent  of  the  distressing  personal  bearings  of  the 
question."  He  fully  approved  of  Mr,  Martineau's  action, 
and  greatly  regretted  that  Mr.  Tayler  had  not  joined  with 
him  in  his  letter  to  the  Committee.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Sadler 
also,  though  not  a  Trustee,  wrote  a  letter  which  derived 
weight  from  his  high  character  and  the  reverence  in  which 
he  was  already  held.  Speaking  of  Mr.  Martineau  as  a 
teacher,  he  says :  "  Of  all  the  Professors,  either  in  this 
country  or  in  Germany,  whose  lectures  I  have  had  the 
privilege  of  attending,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  in  my 
opinion  not  one  combines  in  either  greater  measure  or 
greater  number  the  highest  qualifications  of  a  teacher." 
He  speaks  of  the  approaching  discussion  as  "  of  vital  im- 
portance to  our  body,"  and  concludes  thus :  "  The  battle 
of  religious  freedom,  I  am  afraid,  will  have  to  be  fought 
in  every  generation,  for  impatience  of  differences  appears 
to  be  an  infirmity  of  hummi  nature;  but  I  hope  this  in- 
firmity will  never  manifest  itself  in  our  body  in  the  same 
way  in  so  many  individuals  at  the  same  time,  as  really  to 
endanger  the  catholic  position  which  I  believe  has  been 
especially  committed  by  God  to  our  charge." 

The  crisis  appeared  to  Mr.  Martineau  to  have  an  im- 
portance extending  far  beyond  any  personal  interest.  On 
April  6  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Beard :  — 

April  6,  1857. 

It  appears  to  me  a  rare  and  priceless  opportunity  for  driv- 
ing into  holes  and  corners  whatever  is  poor  and  narrow-hearted 
in  our  Church  spirit,  and  calling  out  into  hopefulness  the  young 
spirit  of  a  better  time,  and  committing  the  honourable  sympa- 
thies of  untheological  laymen  to  the  interests  of  open  learning 
and  continuous  religious  development.  This  larger  aspect  of 
the  meeting  so  eclipses  my  personal  relation  to  it,  that  I  almost 
long  to  be  free  and  in  your  place,  in  order  to  help  the  occasion 
to  its  proper  results.  This  is,  however,  only  the  restlessness 
of  one  accustomed  to  action ;  not  the  slightest  misgiving  as  to 
the  vigorous  and  skilful  management.    I  leave  everything  with 

314 


ISS7]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

perfect  trust  in  the  hands  of  yourself  and  coadjutors.  And  be 
the  result  what  it  may,  I  shall  never  cease  to  feel  that  every 
human  justice  has  been  done  to  the  attempt,  and  that  the  issue 
must  be  accepted  as  Providential. 

As  the  day  approached  he  could  not  avoid  some  natural 
misgivings,  and  on  April  lo  he  wrote  again  to  Mr.  Beard: 
"  I  feel  not  at  all  sanguine  about  the  result.  But  I  am 
prepared  either  to  go  to  work  or  to  be  sacrificed,  as  may 
be  appointed  to  me;  and  shall  make  no  moans  and  utter 
no  reproaches,  come  what  may." 

On  the  appointed  day  one  hundred  and  forty-one  Trus- 
tees, of  whom  one  hundred  and  seven  were  laymen,  as- 
sembled from  various  parts  of  the  country  in  Cross  Street 
Chapel,  Manchester.  In  the  absence  of  the  President,  Mr. 
Meade  King  was  appointed  Chairman.  Mr.  Mark  Philips 
moved  *'  that  this  meeting,  having  received  the  Special 
Report  of  the  Committee,  dated  12th  of  March  last,  as  to 
the  measures  adopted  by  them  in  relation,  to  the  Profes- 
sorial arrangement  of  the  College,  testifies  its  unabated 
confidence  in  the  Committee  and.  its  full  acceptance  of 
those  measures,  and  hereby  formally  adopts  the  Report." 
This  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Thom  with  his  usual  power  and 
eloquence.  Mr.  George  Long  then  moved,  as  an  amend- 
ment, that  the  Committee  be  instructed  to  take  steps  to  as- 
certain by  circular  the  wishes  of  every  individual  Trustee. 
He  maintained  that  that  was  the  only  way  in  which  such 
an  important  question  ought  to  be  decided,  and  that  "  some 
of  the  opinions  advanced  in  the  writings  of  the  two  Pro- 
fessors were  not  of  a  character  to  promote  religion  or  in- 
crease the  influence  of  Christianity  in  the  world  " ;  and 
he  further  objected  to  "  the  obscure  and  mystical  style  in 
which  they  were  accustomed  to  clothe  their  ideas."  This 
was  seconded  by  Mr.  E.  Bowman,  whose  chief  contention 
was  that  the  Special  Report  did  not  give  an  "  accurate 
statement  of  the  Committee's  proceedings  and  of  the  posi- 

315 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

tion  of  affairs."  After  a  prolonged  debate,  in  which  some 
of  the  protesters  strongly  disclaimed  the  charge  of  being 
false  to  "  their  foundation  principle  of  religious  libert}-," 
a  division  was  taken,  when,  after  the  amendment  was 
negatived,  the  votes  for  the  resolution  were  113,  against 
17,  giving  a  majority  of  96  in  favour  of  the  Committee's 
arrangements.  Letters  from  Trustees  who  were  unable  to 
attend  took  the  same  side  in  the  proportion  of  2.2  to  2. 
Two  other  resolutions  were  passed,  which  ought  to  be  re- 
corded: I.  *'  That  the  official  recognition  of  Protests  tends 
to  weaken  and  render  unstable  the  government  of  the  Col- 
lege, and  that  such  documents  should  not  in  future  be  re- 
corded as  part  of  the  College  minutes."  2.  "  That  this 
Institution  is  founded  for  the  sole  purpose  of  giving 
University  learning  to  students  for  the  Christian  ministry 
among  Non-subscribing  Dissenters,  without  test  or  con- 
fession of  faith,  and  not  for  the  purpose  of  instruction  in 
the  peculiar  doctrines  of  any  sect;  and  that  in  appoint- 
ing Professors  it  would  be  a  violation  of  this  fundamental 
principle  to  attempt  to  secure  a  representation  of  the  views 
of  any  particular  school  of  thought."  In  supporting  the 
latter  resolution  Mr.  W.  Shaen  emphasised  the  fact  that 
the  Institution  "  was  not  and  ought  not  to  be  made  a  Uni- 
tarian College,  but  a  College  of  Free  Theology,  standing 
upon  the  broad  principle  of  non-subscription." 

After  the  meeting  some  fifty  or  sixty  of  the  Trustees 
dined  together  at  the  Queen's  Hotel,  and  it  is  related  that 
they  "  passed  a  very  pleasant  and  harmonious  evening." 
The  toast  of  the  new  Professors  was  received  with  the 
utmost  enthusiasm.^ 

Among  the  many  gratifying  letters  which  Mr.  Martineau 
received  after  the  decisive  vote  which  gave  him  hencefor- 
ward an  assured  position,  must  be  mentioned  one  from 

1  The  proceedings  are  fully  reported  in  "  The  Christian  Reformer,"  1S57, 
p.  Z'^zsqq.  and  yj^sqq. 

316 


1857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

Air.  John  Dendy,  conveying  an  address  from  twenty-seven 
of  his  former  pupils.  The  address,  though  not  forwarded 
till  the  2 1st  of  April,  was  composed,  and  the  signatures 
were  obtained,  before  the  meeting.  It  indicates  the  affec- 
tion and  trust  which  he  inspired  in  his  pupils;  and  his 
reply  explains,  and  implicitly  defends  against  the  recent 
objections,  his  aims  as  a  teacher. 

To  THE  Rev.  James  Martin eau. 

Dear  Sir,  —  In  the  present  critical  position  of  Manchester 
New  College,  more  especially  with  regard  to  your  own  services 
as  Professor,  we  think  it  right,  as  your  former  pupils,  to  ex- 
press the  respect  and  gratitude  we  feel  towards  yourself,  and 
our  regret  at  the  embarrassing  circumstances  in  which  you 
have  been  placed.  We  know  from  experience  something  of 
the  value  of  your  instructions.  We  thank  you  most  deeply 
and  sincerely  for  the  admirable  guidance  which  you  have  af- 
forded us  in  many  departments  of  difficult  intellectual  inquiry. 
But  we  cannot  limit  ourselves  to  the  acknowledgment  simply 
of  an  intellectual  obligation.  It  is  our  duty,  also,  to  bear  tes- 
timony to  that  devout  spirit  of  Christian  faith,  and  that  ear- 
nestness of  Christian  conviction,  which  we  have  continually 
recognised  as  forming  the  groundwork  of  your  instructions. 
In  our  opinion,  there  can  scarcely  be  any  teaching  more  valu- 
able to  students  of  theology,  or  more  in  harmony  with  the  re- 
quirements of  the  age,  than  that  which,  like  your  own,  exhibits 
the  union  of  deep  and  original  research  with  a  truly  reveren- 
tial spirit,  and  is  devoted,  above  all  things,  to  the  vindication 
of  our  common  faith. 

It  is  for  these  reasons  that  we  most  earnestly  desire  that  the 
benefit  of  your  instructions  may  be  continued  to  the  present 
and  future  students  of  the  College.  Having  heard  with  great 
pleasure  of  the  appointments  recently  made  by  the  Committee, 
we  cannot  but  express  a  hope  that  they  may  be  fully  and  con- 
sistently carried  out,  and  that  you  may  now  consider  yourself 
enabled,  without  scruple,  to  accept  the  duties  which  thus  de- 
volve upon  you.  We  feel  confident  that  such  an  arrangement 
is  well  calculated  to  promote  the  future  prosperity  of  the 
College. 

.We  remain,  dear  Sir, 

Gratefully  and  affectionately  yours, 

\_H ere  follow  the  signatures.  ^ 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 


Reply. 

My  dear  Mr.  Dendy,  —  On  my  return  home  after  a  few 
days'  absence,  I  find  the  address  of  sympathy  and  confidence 
in  which  many  of  my  former  College  pupils  generously  inter- 
pose to  lighten  the  difficulties  of  my  new  task.  Such  an  ex- 
pression of  regard  is  among  the  most  precious  fruits  of 
laborious  years.  Proceeding  as  it  chiefly  does  from  men  no 
longer  inexperienced  in  life,  and  occupying  or  sure  to  occupy 
positions  due  only  to  character,  knowledge,  and  capacity,  its 
testimony  has  an  intrinsic  value  beyond  its  deep  interest  to 
the  Teacher's  memory  and  affection. 

At  the  same  time,  I  am  profoundly  conscious  that  this 
friendly  estimate  of  my  past  work  is  true  rather  of  its  aim 
than  of  its  performance;  of  whose  manifold  deficiencies  I 
could  too  sincerely  speak,  did  not  the  discussions  of  the  recent 
crisis  render  such  words  unseasonable  and  superfluous.  Time 
alone  can  show  whether  I  delude  myself  with  the  hope  of 
better  realising  my  own  conception  under  the  new  conditions 
of  daily  devotion  to  the  academic  work,  and  the  constant  coun- 
sel and  sympathy  of  my  accomplished  senior  colleague.  But, 
thus  far,  the  only  credit  I  can  take  to  myself  as  a  Teacher  is, 
for  an  honest  desire  to  be  always  just  to  the  sentiments  of 
others,  and  ingenuous  in  the  statement  of  my  own ;  to  re- 
spect the  independent  working  of  the  student's  mind,  and 
never  transgress  the  limit  that  separates  guidance  from  dicta- 
tion ;  to  conceal  no  difficulty,  to  shelter  no  fiction,  but  encour- 
age a  simple  and  reverential  trust  in  whatever  God  has  made 
real  or  has  set  forth  as  true  and  good. 

Hitherto  it  has  not  devolved  upon  me  to  conduct  any  por- 
tion of  the  special  studies  for  the  Christian  ministry.  Hence- 
forth it  will  be  otherwise.  And  no  change  could  be  more 
congenial  to  my  deepest  faith  and  affection  than  that  which 
enables  me  to  enter  the  sacred  circle  of  Christian  doctrine,  and 
to  share  more  directly  in  sending  forth  faithful  men,  well 
furnished  as  preachers  of  Christ's  holy  Gospel,  and  pioneers 
of  his  heavenly  kingdom. 

If  I  do  not  mistake  the  signs  of  the  times,  many  threaten- 
ing clouds  are  passing  away  from  us ;  and  with  candid  inter- 
pretation and  hearty  support  of  one  another,  we  may  hope  for 
a  blessing  on  the  future,  not  unworthy  of  the  good  examples 
of  the  past. 

I  pray  you  to  convey  my  affectionate  acknowledgments  to 

318 


1857]        PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

the  friends  whom  you  represent,  and  to  beheve  mc,  dear  Mr. 
Dendy, 

Ever  faithfully  yours, 

James  Martineau. 
Liverpool,  April  24,  1S57. 

The  following'  letters  throw  a  further  light  upon  his 
feelings  and  hopes :  — 

TO   REV.   C.   WICKSTEED. 

April  23,  1857. 

My  dear  Wicksteed,  —  I  feared  you  would  be  angry  with 
me  for  calling  a  General  Council,  instead  of  being  content  with 
the  decision  of  the  Curia  at  Manchester;  and  all  the  more 
thankful  am  I  to  have  your  forgiveness,  as  well  as  your  con- 
gratulations, on  my  effectual  purification  from  the  taint  of 
heresy.  Almost  all  the  friends  on  whose  judgment  I  am  ac- 
customed to  rely  dissuaded  me  from  the  step  I  took ;  and  I 
was  not  blind  to  its  inevitable  hazards.  But  the  conviction 
remained  with  me  that  in  courage  only  was  there  safety ;  and 
that  what  danger  there  was  would  not  be  created,  but  only 
exhibited,  by  the  meeting,  —  and  would  do  less  harm  when 
brought  to  the  daylight  than  when  lurking  in  the  dark.  To 
act  on  this  conviction  against  the  wish  of  my  most  trusted  ad- 
visers involved  a  very  painful  responsibility ;  and  the  general 
admission  which  now  reaches  me  that  the  meeting  has  cleared 
the  air  and  brightened  the  future  is  so  unspeakable  a  relief  as 
quite  to  absorb  all  personal  gratulation  and  humble  me  with 
thankfulness  and  hope.  ...  It  is  evident  that  the  tempers  of 
men  have  been  rendered  more  genial,  rather  than  less,  by  the 
renewed  discussion.  It  is  all  owing  to  the  admirable  conduct 
of  the  meeting,  and  especially  to  Thom's  part  in  it,  of  which 
everyone  speaks  with  boundless  admiration.  No  wonder  that 
I  felt  all  along  a  reliance  on  the  moral  power  of  my  friends 
which  they  could  hardly  feel  for  themselves.  I  knew,  too,  that 
Tayler,  though  he  did  not  and  need  not  join  in  my  act.  was 
really  held  to  his  position  by  the  most  precarious  tie,  —  which 
an  hour's  despondency  might  at  any  time  sever,  and  which 
nothing  could  secure  but  a  public  manifestation  of  confidence. 
Now,  he  is  in  bright  spirits  again,  and  we  shall  be  able  to  go 
to  our  work  with  the  energy  of  trust  instead  of  the  restraints 
of  circumspection. 

For,  in  spite  of  your  wise  cautions  and  criticisms,  dear 
friend,  you  will  never  make  me  a  *'  prudent "  and  "  decorous  " 

319 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

teacher.  If  God's  realities  were  dangerous,  I  should  see  room 
for  coura.G^e  in  facing  them  or  discretion  in  evading  them ;  but 
as  it  is,  there  seems  to  me  to  be  no  scope  for  anything  in  the 
explorer  and  teacher  but  insight  and  simplicity.  I  do  not  in 
the  least  repent  of  that  Vaughan  sermon,  or  admit  that,  in 
bringing  the  Apostles  under  the  universal  law  of  God's  in- 
spiration, it  says  anything  "  against "  them.  The  future  of 
Christianity  among  thoughtful  men  depends  entirely,  I  am 
profoundly  convinced,  on  the  substitution,  for  the  notion  of 
documentary  or  personal  infallibility,  of  a  doctrine  of  histori- 
cal development  of  Divine  truth,  chiefly  through  the  implicit 
and  spontaneous  reverences  rather  than  the  intentional  teach- 
ings, of  the  human  organs  employed.  It  is  curious  that,  just 
while  this  College  cry  of  heresy  is  raised  in  England,  the  most 
conservative  body  of  Unitarians  in  the  world  —  the  American 
Unitarian  Association  —  are  republishing  with  their  imprima- 
tur not  only  this  particular  sermon,  but  all  the  Westminster 
articles  which  have  caused  a  hubbub  among  our  sensitive  par- 
sons here.  The  plain  truth  is,  the  state  of  theological  learning 
and  thought  in  our  body  has  fallen  so  low,  that  the  very  ques- 
tions which  occupy  the  rest  of  the  cultivated  world  are  inap- 
preciable, even  in  their  first  statement  and  conditions,  to  the 
conductors  of  our  press  and  most  of  the  preachers  in  our  pul- 
pits. Men  like  .  .  .  — who  have  never  read  or  studied  at  all 
since  they  left  College,  thirty  years  ago,  and  who  simply  re- 
produce the  budget  they  made  up  in  the  York  class-rooms  — 
may  be  and  are  most  worthy  exponents  of  the  then  state  of 
things ;  but  are  surely  not  suitable  arbitrators  on  controver- 
sies due  to  the  changed  position  of  theological  science  in  the 
last  quarter  century,  and  almost  wholly  conducted  in  a  lan- 
guage which  they  cannot  read.  I  respect  the  dogmatism  of  a 
man  like  Andrews  Norton,  who  kept  himself  well  up  to  his 
date,  and  spoke  with  the  credentials  of  critical  knowledge.  But 
I  complain  of  the  hot,  impatient  judgments  of  those  whose  dis- 
pleasure proceeds  not  from  insight  but  from  helplessness.  .  .  . 
Affectionately  yours, 

James  Marti neau. 

TO   REV.  J.  H.  THOM. 

Liverpool,  April  24,  1857, 

My  dear  Friend,  —  From  all  quarters  tidings  come  in  of 
the  good  results  produced  by  last  week's  discussion  and  vote, 
results  attributed  with  singular  unanimity  to  your  powerful 

320 


1857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

and  noble  manag-ement  of  the  case.  I  knew  it  would  be  so,  — 
whatever  the  division  of  numbers ;  and  you  must  forgive  me 
if  I  felt  an  obstinate  confidence  in  the  moral  impression  which 
the  meeting  would  leave,  —  a  confidence  which,  as  it  mainly- 
rested  on  you,  you  were,  not  likely  to  appreciate  fairly.  A  mean 
and  bad  cause  had  put  itself  in  a  false  and  vulnerable  position ; 
and  had  then  been  put  into  a  position  to  become  (as  I  thought) 
dangerous.  The  moment  seemed  eminently  favourable  for  ex- 
hibiting its  real  character  and  testing  its  strength.  Of  the  latter 
your  estimate  has  certainly  proved  nearer  the  truth  than  my 
own.  At  the  same  time,  the  decisive  step  taken  was  just  what 
brought  home  to  so  many  of  the  protesters  the  consciousness 
of  having  made  a  mistake,  and  practically  broke  up  the  party; 
so  that  the  weakness  of  the  minority  has  not  simply  been  ex- 
hibited, but  in  part  created,  by  the  holding  of  the  meeting.  At 
all  events,  it  is  evident  that  men's  tempers  have  been  sweetened, 
and  their  hopes  brightened,  and  their  zeal  animated,  by  this 
termination  of  the  crisis.  Aspland  (whom  I  have  seen)  is 
more  kindly,  and  in  the  "  Reformer  "  will  be  less  distrustful 
and  damaging.  Mr.  Kenrick  writes  quite  cordially  and  hope- 
fully. Tayler  is  quite  a  new  man,  and  declares  that  he  is  de- 
livered from  a  horrid  nightmare  that  would  have  continued  to 
weigh  upon  his  mind.  And  numerous  laymen  who  never  be- 
fore cared  for  the  College  or  the  religious  interests  for  which 
it  provides,  quitted  Manchester  with  an  awakened  sense  of 
their  duty  in  these  relations.  With  the  subsidence  of  these 
prefatory  excitements  and  the  approach  of  the  working  re- 
ality of  the  new  duties,  a  thousand  self-distrusts  creep  over 
me,  and  open  another  order  of  anxieties.  But  these  are  but  the 
permanent  burthen  of  a  mind  with  more  care  of  conscience 
than  full  joy  of  faith ;  and  do  not  prevent  my  thankful  ac- 
knowledgment that  with  all  the  outward  and  human  condi- 
tions I  am  now  in  complete  reconciliation.  The  former  students 
in  my  classes  have  presented  me  with  an  address  which  cannot 
but  encourage  and  rejoice  the  heart  of  a  teacher,  by  showing 
that  his  function  has  not  failed.  .  .  . 

Ever,  dear  Friend, 

Affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

TO   REV.   J.   J.   TAYLER. 

August  24,  1857. 

Though  I  am  half-frightened  at  your  sketch  of  the  Under- 
graduate wants,  I  have  no  doubt  of  its  fidelity ;  and  I  dare  say 

21  321 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

the  work  will  be  less  formidable  in  execution  than  it  looks  in 
description.  But  I  fear  you  will  find  it  to  be  my  fault  that  I 
have  not  an  offhand  extempore  nature ;  everything  costs  me 
pains ;  so  that  very  simple  matters,  that  flow  out  by  light  of 
nature  from  others,  wait  for  preliminary  labour  with  me.  But 
you  may  depend  upon  my  best  endeavours,  and  in  a  year  or 
two  many  things  may  become  clear  and  light  that  as  yet  are 
anxious  because  untried. 

Severe  personal  annoyance  was  not  yet  over.  In  June 
Mr.  Tayler  and  Mr.  Kenrick,  to  whom  the  preliminary 
selection  of  a  teacher  of  Hebrew  had  been  left,  were  pre- 
pared to  nominate  Mr.  G.  V.  Smith,  who  was  now  known 
to  be  willing  to  accept  the  post;  and  a  Committee  meet- 
ing was  summoned  for  the  17th.  On  the  i6th  the  meeting 
was  countermanded;  and  it  became  known  that  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau  had  interfered,  and  the  nominators  were  therefore 
unprovided  with  a  suggestion.  In  July  Mr.  Russell  Mar- 
tineau  was  appointed.  It  is  easily  understood  that  this 
train  of  events  would  look  highly  suspicious  to  men  who 
regarded  Mr.  Martineau  with  no  favourable  eye;  but  it 
was  strange,  without  full  knowledge  of  the  circumstances, 
to  charge  such  a  man  with  "  discreditable  conduct,"  and 
with  violating  the  "  principles  of  justice,  honour,  and  fair- 
ness." There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  gentlemen  who 
thought  it  their  duty  to  do  so  acted  in  perfectly  good  faith ; 
especially  as  their  friend  Mr.  Smith,  whose  acquirements 
were  not  disputed,  felt  himself  aggrieved,  and  thought  that 
Mr.  Martineau  had  needlessly  injured  him.  It  had,  how- 
ever, been  forgotten  that  between  January  30  and  Feb- 
ruary 20  Mr.  Tayler  and  Mr.  Martineau,  who  had  not  yet 
accepted  the  invitation  of  the  Committee,  were  engaged, 
by  request,  in  preparing  a  joint  scheme,  which  expressly 
included  "  due  provision  for  instruction  in  Hebrew."  In 
the  fulfilment  of  this  task  they  discussed  various  plans,  re- 
jecting those  to  which  either  of  them  felt  an  insuperable 
objection.     One  of  these  plans  was  the  nomination  of  Mr. 

322 


1857]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

Smith;  and  Mr.  Martineau  wrote  in  the  most  exphcit 
terms  to  Mr.  Tayler,  that  he  was  firmly  resolved  not  to 
commit  himself  to  this  new  enterprise,  and  incur  the  great 
sacrifices  which  it  involved,  "  of  old  and  endeared  rela- 
tions, of  unbounded  freedom  and  trust,  and  of  more  than 
a  third  of  "  his  "  income,"  if  that  plan  were  adopted.  The 
reasons  for  this  decision  were  afterwards  spoken  of  as 
"  political,"  by  which  it  was  obviously  meant  that,  con- 
sidering all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  he  did  not  think 
that  the  appointment  would  conduce  to  the  interests  of  the 
College.  His  first  feeling,  however,  was  one  of  delicacy 
towards  Mr.  Smith  himself.  Writing  to  Mr.  Tayler  on 
February  2,  he  states  that  the  absoluteness  of  Mr.  Smith's 
resignation  was  a  sine  qua  11011  of  his  acceptance  of  the  new 
arrangement.  "  There  is  nothing  invidious  and  painful," 
he  says,  "  in  the  distribution  between  you  and  me  of  work 
set  free  by  the  retirement  of  our  colleague.  But  what  can 
be  more  odious  than  to  take  his  work  away  from  him 
whilst  he  remains,  and  to  put  him  on  the  reduced  list  of 
mere  Hebrew  or  Old  Testament  teacher?  No  considera- 
tion would  induce  me  to  enter  such  a  position."  Whether 
or  not  he  was  correct  in  his  judgment  he  was  clearly  within 
his  right  in  refusing  to  connect  himself  with  an  experi- 
ment which  wounded  his  own  feelings  of  respect  for  an 
esteemed  colleague,  and  which  he  thought  portended  fail- 
ure. His  alleged  interference  consisted  solely  in  remind- 
ing Mr.  Tayler  of  these  facts,  which,  in  the  anxiety  of  an 
unsettled  time,  his  friend  had  for  the  moment  forgotten. 
He  had  no  personal  reasons  whatever  for  his  action.  He 
referred  to  Mr.  Smith  in  the  most  kindly  terms,  and,  while 
he  was  inflicting  a  temporary  pain,  he  believed  that  for  his 
old  colleague,  as  well  as  for  the  College,  he  was  taking  the 
wisest  step. 

But  what  of  the  appointment  of  his  own  son?     With 
this  he  had  nothing  whatever  to  do.     On  the  contrary,  he 

323 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

more  than  once  strongly  recommended  Mr.  Sauerwein,  a 
thorough  Hebraist,  trained  by  Ewald;  but  Ewald  himself 
recommended  Mr.  Russell  Martineau,  and  it  was  this  great 
scholar's  "  spontaneous  and  unsolicited  "  mention  of  him 
that  induced  Mr.  Tayler  to  send  for  him,  and  open  the 
communications  which  terminated  in  his  appointment. 
Mr.  Martineau's  only  part  in  the  transaction  was  his  not 
interfering  to  preclude  his  son  from  a  congenial  office 
freely  and  honourably  conferred  upon  him.  A  letter  of 
Mr.  Tayler's  certifies  that  he  never  once  exchanged  a  word 
with  Mr.  Martineau  on  the  subject  during  the  whole  of 
the  proceedings,  and  that  the  suggestion  came  entirely 
from  himself,  under  a  strong  feeling  both  of  the  needs 
and  of  the  proprieties  of  the  case. 

A  letter  having  been  printed  and  circulated  among  the 
Trustees,  containing  injurious  charges  against  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau, he  addressed  a  letter  on  the  21st  of  August  to  the 
Chairman  of  the  Committee,  requesting  that  a  legitimate 
opportunity  of  vindication  should  be  provided  in  some  effi- 
cacious way.  Accordingly,  when  the  Committee  met  on 
the  1 6th  of  September,  a  resolution  was  passed  that  vari- 
ous documents,  which  were  read,  afforded  a  complete  refu- 
tation of  the  injurious  statements  and  insinuations.  Mr. 
Tayler  was  by  this  time  convinced  that,  though  the  with- 
drawal of  Mr.  Smith's  name  had  been  against  his  own 
feelings  and  wishes,  the  wisest  course  had  been  pursued. 

In  order  to  complete  this  long  episode  we  must  trespass 
for  a  moment  on  the  London  period.  The  resolution  of 
the  Committee  did  not  allay  the  dissatisfaction  out  of 
doors;  and  as  late  as  December  31  Mr.  Martineau  had  to 
write  to  Mr.  Thom :  "  At  present,  even  friendly  people 
believe  in  the  main  the  statements  made  .  .  .  ,  and  letters 
come  to  me  with  assurances  that  no  one  who  knows  human 
nature  and  the  world  thinks  of  blaming  a  father  who  uses 
an  opportunity  of  pushing  the  interests  of  his  son,  and 

324 


1858]       PROFESSORSHIP    CONFLICT 

keeping  a  suitable  place  for  him  while  he  can.  You  will 
readily  feel  that  this  style  of  defence  and  support  is  in- 
finitely more  painful  to  me  than  Mr.  's  attacks."     He 

felt,  therefore,  that  a  full  explanation  ought  to  be  given 
at  the  ensuing  Annual  Meeting  of  Trustees.  The  meeting 
was  held  in  Manchester  on  the  21st  of  January.  The  last 
paragraph  of  the  Committee's  Report  refers  to  the  paper 
impugning  the  conduct  of  Professor  Martineau,  and  states 
that  "  the  Committee  by  a  majority  of  votes  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  documents  laid  before  them  afforded 
a  complete  refutation  of  the  charges  against  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau." It  was  assumed  that  the  adoption  of  the  Report, 
which,  on  the  motion  of  Mr.  William  Shaen,  was  carried 
by  a  very  large  majority,  pledged  everyone  who  voted  for 
it  to  agreement  with  the  verdict  of  the  Committee.  A 
futile  attempt  was  also  made  to  rescind  Mr.  E.  \V.  Field's 
resolutions  of  the  previous  April.  This  meeting  was  not 
satisfactory  to  Mr.  Martineau.  He  thought  that  the  mere 
adoption  of  the  Report  did  not  give  a  clear  impression  that 
the  charges  were  erased  by  public  vote.  And  he  adds,  in 
a  letter  to  Mr.  Thom :  — 

"  The  cold  paragraph  with  which  the  Committee's  Report 
concludes  —  violating  all  precedent  in  order  to  state  my  ex- 
oneration by  a  Majority  while  every  other  act  is  and  always 
has  been  stated  as  the  act  of  the  Committee  —  does  such  a  bare 
minimum  of  justice  that  it  had  far  better  have  been  omitted 
altogether.  .  .  .  But  I  know  how  tempting  is  the  policy  of 
sacrificing  servants  in  order  to  conciliate  opponents ;  and  it 
was  perhaps  a  weakness  in  me  to  expect  more  generous  con- 
sideration. You  at  least,  dear  friend,  and  Mr.  Shaen  did  what 
was  possible  to  set  things  right ;  and  I  now  turn  my  back 
to  this  dreadful  year,  and,  with  such  hope  as  it  has  left  me, 
abated  though  it  be,  lose  its  impression  in  the  duties  that  lie 
before  me."  ^ 


1  The  foregoing  account  is  taken  from  reports  in  "The  Christian  Reformer,' 
and  a  great  pile  of  letters  and  documents. 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

We  must  now  retrace  our  steps,  and  return  to  more  peace- 
ful, though  in  some  respects  hardly  less  trying  scenes.  On 
the  20th  of  February,  1857,  he  addressed  the  following 
letter  to  his  Congregation :  — 

Park  Nook,  Prince's  Park,  Liverpool,  Feb.  20,  1857. 

Dear  Friends, — When  a  few  months  ago  I  was  induced  to 
withdraw  "for  a  season"  my  tendered  resignation  of  the  Min- 
istry among  you,  I  little  thought  how  soon  a  call  of  clearer 
duty  would  oblige  me  to  renew  it  and  carry  it  to  completion. 
But  the  term  of  twenty-five  years  seems  not  without  reason  to 
have  haunted  me  with  the  sense  that  a  change  was  due  to  you ; 
for,  ere  it  has  expired,  a  Higher  Will  reinforces  the  impression 
from  another  side,  and  offers  me  elsewhere  a  trust  which  I  dare 
not  decline.  On  the  retirement  of  one  of  the  Professors  of 
Manchester  New  College,  London,  the  Principal  and  the  re- 
maining Professor  have  been  requested  to  divide  the  Academi- 
cal duties  mainly  between  them ;  and  after  seriously  seeking 
all  attainable  light  for  a  faithful  judgment,  we  have  this  day 
accepted  the  responsibility.  I  must  therefore  have  the  sorrow 
of  resigning  into  your  hands  next  Autumn  the  office  I  have  so 
long  held,  and  quitting  the  service  and  the  scene  endeared  by 
a  thousand  ties. 

Were  this  resolve  the  result  of  personal  preference,  it  might 
well  be  condemned  as  ungrateful  and  imprudent ;  —  ungrate- 
ful towards  you,  from  whom  I  have  received  nothing  but  affec- 
tion, generosity,  and  patience;  imprudent  for  myself  and  my 
house,  who  can  never  expect  to  replace  elsewhere  the  security 
and  comfort  —  much  less  the  lifelong  attachments  —  which 
we  shall  leave  behind.  Gain  does  not  tempt  me,  for  I  go  to  a 
poorer  life;  or  Ambition,  for  I  retire  to  a  less  conspicuous; 
or  Ease,  for  I  commit  myself  to  unsparing  labour.  And  of 
the  unbounded  freedom  and  confidence  so  nobly  vouchsafed  to 
me  here,  it  is  no  secret  to  me  that  I  must  expect  less,  even 
though  I  should  deserve  it  more.  But  none  of  these  things 
move  me  from  the  feeling  that  the  work  proposed  to  me  is,  of 
all  the  offices  of  life,  that  which  I  can  best  fulfil ;  and  that,  in 
being  humanly  offered,  it  is  also  Providentially  assigned.  In 
the  Church  of  Christ,  each  has  to  place  his  gifts  and  oppor- 
tunities at  disposal  for  the  divine  economy  of  the  whole.  And 
as  faithful  Ministers  are,  happily,  more  numerous  than  hab- 
itual Students,  the  scholastic  thinker  does  a  double  wrong 
when  he  detains  a  pulpit  from  men  of  more  effective  spiritual 

326 


X857J  RESIGNS    HIS    MINISTRY 

gifts,  and  declines  the  lecture-room  which  he  can  congenially 
serve. 

If,  to  shun  this  wrong,  I  bear  to  part  from  those  whom  I 
have  immediately  taught,  it  is  but  to  minister  to  them  indi- 
rectly, and  try  to  teach  their  teachers.  At  least,  I  may  console 
myself  with  the  fancy,  that  to  serve  the  wants  of  all  our  so- 
cieties cannot  be  to  abandon  the  service  of  any.  And  should 
it  be  permitted  me,  under  the  guidance  and  with  the  sympathy 
of  a  revered  friend  and  colleague,  to  spend  the  remaining 
years  of  active  life  in  sustaining  the  succession  of  enlightened 
preachers  of  God's  Word,  I  shall  rejoice  to  have  through  them 
some  communion  with  the  future,  and  to  render  the  most  ap- 
propriate help  of  the  retiring  generation  to  the  new. 

I  will  not  anticipate  the  pain  of  separation  by  dwelling  on 
all  that  it  involves.  This  only  let  me  add.  The  step  which  I 
have  taken  would  be  doubly  grievous  to  me,  did  I  not  believe 
that,  however  taxing  to  our  mutual  affection,  it  will  be  ap- 
proved by  your  serious  judgment  and  sustained  by  your  power- 
ful moral  support.  You  will  not  make  it  a  reproach  to  me, 
that  I  quit  the  shelter  of  your  friendship  in  obedience  to  a 
more  adventurous  call.  Remembering  that,  in  times  when 
men's  spirits  are  much  stirred,  every  considerable  duty  has 
difficulties  disturbing  to  indolence  and  fear,  you  would  not 
wish  me  dismayed  by  a  few  shadows  on  my  path,  or  condemn 
the  good  hope  that  looks  beyond  them.  You  will  lighten  by 
your  encouragement  the  burthen  of  the  work  to  which  I  go, 
and  will  grant  to  it  and  its  labourers  that  generous  confidence 
and  appreciation,  without  which  the  most  energetic  fidelity  of 
service  must  remain  unfruitful. 

Under  correction  from  future  exigencies,  or  from  your  wish, 
I  should  propose  that  my  ministerial  term  should  expire  at 
Michaelmas  next.  Should  the  annual  recess  you  allow  me  im- 
mediately precede  this  date,  the  opportunity  would  perhaps  be 
convenient  for  seeking  my  successor.  My  actual  departure 
would  thus  take  place  at  the  end  of  July  or  the  beginning  of 
August. 

Under  all  changes  of  time  and  place, 

I  am,  and  shall  remain,  dear  friends, 

Gratefully  and  affectionately  yours, 
James  Martineau. 

This  letter  was  read  at  a  special  meeting  of  the  Congre- 
gation on  the  following  Sunday,  February  22,  when  it  was 

327 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

moved  by  Mr.  Avison,  seconded  by  Mr.  C.  E.  Rawlins, 
Jr.,  and  unanimously  resolved  :  — 

"  That  the  letter  of  Rev.  James  Martineau,  this  day  read, 
be  printed  and  circulated  amongst  the  members  of  the  Con- 
gregation, and  that  the  same  be  referred  to  the  Committee, 
with  an  instruction  to  prei)are  suitable  resolutions  to  be  pre- 
sented to  an  adjourned  Meeting  of  the  Congregation  to  be 
held  this  day  fortnight,  immediately  after  morning  service." 

The  adjourned  meeting  was  held  on  Sunday,  8th  March. 
Mr.  Thomas  Avison  occupied  the  Chair.  Mr.  John  Pem- 
berton  Heywood  moved  the  first  resolution,  which  was  sec- 
onded by  Mr.  Thomas  Bolton,  and  carried  unanimously: — 

"  That  this  Congregation  receive  with  deepest  sorrow  the 
intimation  contained  in  Rev.  James  Martineau's  letter  to  them, 
dated  20th  February,  1857,  of  the  approaching  termination  of 
the  connection  so  long  existing  between  him  and  them,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  having  accepted  an  invitation  to  undertake 
additional  academical  duties  in  Manchester  New  College,  Lon- 
don, on  the  retirement  of  one  of  the  present  professors." 

Mr.  Lamport  then  moved,  Mr.  Bulley  seconded,  and  it 
was  unanimously  resolved :  — 

"  That  the  following  letter,  signed  by  the  Chairman  on  behalf 
of  the  Congregation,  be  presented  to  Mr.  Martineau." 

Liverpool,  8th  March,  1857. 

Dear  Mr.  Martineau,  —  We  sorrowfully  submit  to  the 
decision  announced  in  your  letter  to  us  of  the  20th  of  last 
month.  Respect  for  you  and  for  ourselves  restrains  us  from 
efforts  to  detain  you  with  us ;  —  for  you,  because,  did  we  make 
the  attempt,  we  know  it  must  be  ineffectual  in  the  face  of  your 
expression  of  conscientious  resolve ;  for  ourselves,  because  the 
sacrifices  yoic  are  about  to  make  to  the  higher  duties  which  call 
you  away,  remind  us  of  our  obligation  to  be  true  to  your  teach- 
ings and  example,  by  bearing  without  murmur  the  not  lighter 
sacrifice  which  is  demanded  from  iis. 

As  you  glance  back,  in  your  letter,  at  the  past  twenty-five 
years,  it  must  be  of  your  own  kind  feelings  and  not  of  our 
deserts  that  you  can  speak  as  you  are  pleased  to  do  of  the  part 

328 


1857]    EXPRESSIONS  OF  APPRECIATION 

we  have  borne  in  the  relations  so  long  subsisting  between  us. 
Our  own  retrospect  of  the  same  period  excites  in  us  emotions 
bordering  on  self-reproach  ;  for  while  its  lights,  as  we  look 
back  on  the  past,  are  continually  disclosing  causes  for  grati- 
tude to  and  affectionate  remembrance  of  you,  its  shadows 
mercifully  veil  shortcomings  and  faults  of  our  own. 

We,  too,  are  able  to  find  relief  in  the  thought  that  our  present 
loss  may  prove  indirectly  the  means  of  future  gain  to  our  suc- 
cessors. But  we  console  ourselves,  besides,  with  the  expecta- 
tion that  the  influences  hitherto  shed  upon  us  from  the  Pulpit 
may  in  some  measure  be  directly  continued  to  us  through  the 
Press.  And  permit  us  to  add  an  expression  of  our  hope  that, 
from  the  Pulpit  still,  no  year  may  pass  without  our  being  al- 
lowed to  hear  again  the  voice  whose  tones  we  have  listened  to 
so  long  and  loved  so  well. 

We  venture  to  congratulate  you  that  your  own  practical 
solution  of  the  previously  difficult  problem  —  how  to  recon- 
cile the  freest  spirit  of  inquiry  with  the  devoutest  spirit  of 
reverence  —  is  fast  becoming  a  powerful  instrument  in  the 
hands  of  the  Leaders  of  Thought  generally  in  the  present  age. 
And  we  rejoice  in  the  conviction  that  the  views  of  Providence, 
of  Duty,  of  Human  Life,  which  year  after  year  have  been  un- 
folded from  the  pulpit  of  our  Church,  are  influencing  Thought 
and  Feeling,  widely  and  more  widely,  far  beyond  the  range  of 
the  Churches  among  which  you  more  immediately  labour. 

Nor,  believe  us,  do  we  fail  to  recognise  the  obligation  you 
have  laid  upon  ourselves.  Exposed  for  a  quarter  of  a  century 
to  the  first  and  directest  action  of  spiritual  and  moral  agen- 
cies which  we  know  to  be  stirring  the  world  of  Mind  outside 
us,  we  humbly  trust  it  may  be  given  us  to  prove,  by  the  answer 
of  our  future  lives  as  Individuals  and  as  a  Church,  that  the 
Word  sown  in  our  hearts  has  in  no  wise  been  cast  away. 

That  the  Giver  of  all  good  may  shed  His  choicest  blessings 
on  you  and  your  House  is  the  earnest  prayer  of  your  grateful 
and  affectionate  friends  and  fellow-worshippers. 

The  Congregation  assembling  for  Divine  Worship 
in  Hope  Street  Church, 

By  Thomas  Avison,  Chairman. 

On  the  1 8th  of  March  he  received  a  farewell  address 
from  the  "'  Hope  Street  Mutual  Improvement  Society." 
On  the  26th  of  July  the  Congregation  of  Renshaw  Street 
Chapel   passed   a   resolution    adopting   an    address    which 

329 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

expressed  their  g-rateful  regard  for  him,  and  their  confi- 
dence in  his  future  work.  With  perhaps  a  tacit  allusion 
to  the  controversies  which  had  been  raised  about  his  con- 
nection with  the  College  they  say :  — 

"  We  have  a  further  debt  of  gratitude  not  peculiar  to  our- 
selves indeed,  but  shared  by  our  fellow-believers  throughout 
the  Country ;  —  for,  Sir,  it  is  owing  in  no  small  degree  to 
yourself,  in  conjunction  with  some  few  others,  that  the  Uni- 
tarianism  of  the  last  Century  has  developed  into  a  more  spirit- 
ual and  a  higher  faith,  and  that  a  deeper  reverence  for  Christ 
and  Christianity  has  grown  up  among  us. 

"  We  would  now  express  our  entire  confidence  in  the  train- 
ing which  in  your  new  sphere  you  will  give  our  future  Minis- 
ters. You  will  inculcate  the  necessity  of  personal  conviction 
and  unswerving  honesty  in  theology.  You  will  teach  how  best 
to  preserve  what  truths  the  past  has  given,  how  best  to  press 
forward  to  what  the  future  may  reveal.  Under  the  direction 
of  Mr.  Tayler  and  yourself  we  do  not  fear  but  that  our  College 
will  grow  in  usefulness,  and  that  it  will  long  preserve  that  line 
of  truth-loving  Ministers  which  is  our  best  inheritance  from 
our  English  Presbyterian  Ancestry." 

In  addition  to  these  more  public  expressions  of  regard 
and  admiration  he  received  several  private  letters,  con- 
veying in  touching  words  the  writers'  sense  of  that  deep 
spiritual  gratitude  which  can  find  utterance  only  on  rare 
occasions.  Among  these  his  friend  Mr.  Thom,  who  was 
absent  from  Liverpool,  wrote  a  farewell  letter.  A  few 
lines  will  indicate  the  strong  affection  by  which  the  two 
men  were  bound  to  one  another :  — 

"  Any  express  parting  with  you  would  have  been  more  pain- 
ful to  me  than  I  can  tell  you.  I  trust  that  I  am  not  growing 
less  genial  and  confiding  as  I  grow  older,  but  to  a  man  of  fifty 
the  friendship  of  five-and-twenty  years,  and  the  faith  of  long 
experience  can  never  be  replaced.  ...  It  is  true  that  we  were 
both  too  busy  to  see  a  great  deal  of  one  another,  —  but  it  was 
not  necessary ;  —  when  men  have  entire  confidence  and  a  full 
understanding  of  one  another,  a  little  time  goes  a  great  way, 
and  there  was  not  a  day  in  which  you  did  not  contribute  to  my 

330 


1857]    EXPRESSIONS  OF  APPRECIATION 

peace  through  the  knowledge  that  I  had  one  near  me  with 
whom  I  could  take  counsel  in  any  difficulty  that  might  arise, 
in  the  largest  spirit  and  from  the  purest  insight.  In  this  re- 
spect I  shall  feel  an  anxiety  in  my  position  that  I  have  never 
known  before.  It  is  no  small  ground  for  thankfulness  to  God 
and  to  you  that  in  closing  this  relation  there  has  never  been, 
so  far  as  I  know,  the  feeling  of  a  divided  interest  between  us." 

As  disclosing  one  of  the  special  influences  of  his  min- 
istry, a  few  sentences  may  be  quoted  without  impropriety 
from  a  letter  addressed  to  him  by  a  constant  hearer :  — 

"  To  your  influence  exclusively  I  owe  my  deep  love  for  our 
blessed  Saviour.  This  I  feel  to  be  the  great  advance  which  the 
modern  phase  of  Unitarianism  has  made.  I  was  brought  up 
to  be  so  much  afraid  of  giving  too  much  honour  to  Christ, 
lest  it  might  derogate  from  the  honour  due  to  God  alone,  that 
I  was  afraid  to  let  my  natural  feelings  have  their  way ;  and  this 
I  am  sure  has  been  the  case  with  many  most  loving  hearts 
brought  up  under  similar  influences." 

Amid  these  spiritual  gifts  the  material  were  not  for- 
gotten. On  the  28th  of  July  the  Church  Committee  ap- 
pointed a  small  deputation  to  wait  upon  him  on  the 
following  Wednesday.  The  result  is  related,  among  other 
matters,  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Thorn :  — 

Liverpool,  Aug.  5,  1857. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  Could  you  contrast  the  quiet  of  your 
retreat  with  the  chaos  of  my  half-broken-up  camp,  and  the 
agitation  of  spirit  brought  by  deeper  causes,  you  would  un- 
derstand, as  I  know  you  forgive,  my  delay  in  acknowledging 
your  charming  words  of  adieu.  Everything  just  now  so  fills 
me  with  best  wishes  and  anxieties  for  our  people  here,  that, 
although  separation  from  you  stands  foremost  among  the  pri- 
vations of  removal,  your  continuance  here  is  my  chief  stay 
and  comfort ;  and  I  would  not,  if  I  could,  have  you  otherwise 
placed,  though  it  should  bring  you  within  nearer  reach.  Not 
Liverpool  alone,  but  this  whole  district,  needs  you  as  a  soul 
to  our  congregations.  Scarcely  have  they  any  without  you, 
and  you  will  not  flag,  as  since  your  departure  I  have  done, 
from  a  certain  desolateness  and  want  of  sympathy.  Mr.  Chan- 
ning,  I  am  happy  to  say,  has  accepted  his  year  at  Hope  Street. 

331 


HOPE    STREET  [1857 

No  other  arrangi^emcnt  could  satisfy  so  many  wants  or  so  well 
occupy  the  period  of  traiisition,  and  though  in  general  the  suc- 
cessive occupation  of  two  pulpits  in  the  same  town  by  the  same 
minister  is  not  advisable,  his  delightful  dispositions  will  carry 
you  all  through  the  experiment  without  danger. 

I  have  been  overwhelmed  with  the  profuse  kindness  of 
friends,  and  humbled  by  appreciations  that  show  how  much 
better  men  may  feel  than  judge  respecting  one.  To-day  I 
have  been  startled  by  the  presentation,  through  representa- 
tives of  the  Congregational  Committee,  of  one  of  Rookell's 
best  watches  and  a  purse  of  seven  hundred  guineas.  And 
from  the  Renshaw  Street  Congregation,  an  address,  most  cor- 
dial in  relation  to  the  past,  and  seasonable  in  its  expression  of 
confidence  for  the  future,  was  sent  last  week.  Of  the  trying 
hours  of  last  Sunday  morning  I  dare  not  speak.  You  know 
,what  such  a  struggle  is.  .  .  . 

With  kindest  regards. 

Affectionately  yours, 

James  ]\Iartineau. 

That  the  long  connection  might  not  be  entirely  severed, 
an  arrangement  was  made  that  he  should  visit  the  congre- 
gation once  a  year. 

His  farewell  sermon,  called  "  Parting  Words,"  ^  was 
preached  on  the  2d  of  August.  The  text  was  from 
I  Corinthians  iii.  7 :  "  Neither  is  he  that  planteth  any- 
thing, nor  he  that  watereth,  but  God  that  giveth  the  in- 
crease." The  sermon  is  marked  by  the  finest  characteristics 
of  the  preacher,  and  more  than  most  is  a  revelation  of  his 
inmost  life.  He  undertakes  to  "  tell  the  trust  which  has 
possessed  "  him  from  the  beginning.  The  beautiful  expo- 
sition should  be  read  in  full ;  but  a  few  short  extracts  may 
convey  the  kernel  of  the  thought :  — 

"  The  one  deep  faith,  then,  which  has  determined  my  whole 
word  and  work  among  you,  is  in  The  Living  Union  of  God 
•with  our  Humanity.  .  .  .  We  pine  as  prisoners,  till  we  burst 
into  the  air  of  that  supernatural  life  which  He  lives  eternally; 
we  are  parched  with  a  holy  thirst,  till  we  find  contact  with  the 


*  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 


1857]  HIS    FAREWELL    SERMON 

running  waters  of  his  quick  affection.  Him  immediately; 
Him  in  person;  Him  in  whispers  of  the  day,  and  eye  to  eye 
by  night ;  Him  for  a  close  refuge  in  temptation,  not  as  a  large 
thought  of  ours,  but  as  an  Almightiness  in  himself;  Him 
ready  with  his  moistening  dews  for  the  dry  heart,  and  his 
breathings  of  hope  for  the  sorrowing ;  Him  always  and  every- 
where living  for  our  holy  trust,  do  we  absolutely  need  for 
our  repose,  and  wildly  wander  till  we  find.  .  .  .  Through  all 
our  natural  life,  individual  and  social,  is  the  supernatural  in- 
terfused ;  and  the  ideal  colours  of  heaven  are  spread  through 
the  substance  of  our  experience,  to  transfigure  it.  In  us,  how- 
ever, there  is  ever  a  strife  between  the  two.  In  Christ  alone 
is  the  reconciliation  perfect  between  the  human  and  the  divine ; 
and  of  the  blended  natures,  the  lower  yields  as  a  captive,  and 
is,  in  him,  wholly  taken  up  by  the  higher.  This  once  was  God's 
idea  purely  realised.  But  the  same  two  natures  meet  in  us 
all ;  and  he  is  but  the  exemplar  of  a  perpetual  incarnation,  — 
of  a  living  and  constant  union  of  God  with  our  humanity." 

The  following  paragraph  reveals  the  deep  religions 
ground  of  some  of  his  "  negations,"  and  the  reverent  deli- 
cacy which  often  closed  his  lips  or  allowed  him  to  speak 
only  a  few  suggestive  words  even  to  those  whose  hearts 
thirsted  for  more :  — 

"  Moved  by  the  same  persuasion,  —  of  God's  living  union 
with  our  humanity,  —  I  was  early  led,  not  only  into  abhor- 
rence of  the  priestly  character,  but  into  an  estimate  perhaps 
too  low  of  all  disciplinarian  methods  for  the  administration 
of  Churches,  for  the  propagation  of  personal  influence,  and  the 
voluntary  management  of  Christian  men.  Unless  it  were  pos- 
sible to  go  right  down  to  the  seats  of  inmost  faith,  and  waken 
the  conditions  of  God's  spirit  there,  a  certain  shame  has  ever 
haunted  me  at  resorting  to  subsidiary  agencies,  in  the  wield- 
ing of  which  I  could  find  no  support  from  inward  conviction. 
Without  appeal  to  deep  affections,  no  real  thing  seems  to  be 
done;  and  with  it,  the  fruit  would  secretly  ripen  by  night  and 
day.  '  Water  the  roots,  then,  and  let  them  grow.'  Such  has 
been  my  thought,  —  perhaps  also  my  infirmity.  I  am  far  from 
recommending  it  to  others,  though  alone  possible  to  me.  If  I 
have  erred  in  this,  it  has  been  from  too  much  trust  in  others, 
too  little  in  myself,  from  belief  in  the  spirit  alive  in  their  hearts, 
and  misgivings  of  its  force  in  my  own.    How  it  is,  I  know  not ; 

333 


LETTERS,   1 849-1 857 

but  in  private  —  to  this  one  and  to  that  —  I  could  never  talk 
of  what  is  holiest  without  an  advance  of  sympathy  that  makes 
the  talk  all  needless.  Is  it  perhaps  a  sign  of  our  organic  union 
as  social  men,  that  true  reverence  can  never  speak  above  a  whis- 
per, unless  it  be  to  multitudes;  —  but  then  can  breathe  its  full 
tones,  be  they  sorrowful  or  jubilant,  and  never  doubt  that  they 
go  home?  O  brothers  all!  What  are  we  but  of  stammering 
lips  and  dumb,  when  taken  one  by  one ;  but,  in  communion,  a 
chorus  of  solemn  voices  answering  to  the  simplest  sign,  now 
mellowed  to  the  music  of  humanity,  now  appealing  to  the 
glory  of  the  Most  High  ?  " 

His  closing  vv^ords  pointed  to  an  ideal  in  which  his  own 
personal  service  might  be  lost  and  forgotten :  — 

"  And  now,  dear  Friends,  the  last  words  must  come.  It  is 
human  to  wish  not  to  be  forgotten.  Yet,  believe  me,  to  be  lost 
from  your  memory  and  die  away  by  the  dawn  of  what  is  higher 
is  my  inmost  desire.  Could  I  fear  indeed  that  hereafter  heed- 
less change  and  fading  reverence  might  betray  you  into  lower 
mood;  that  instead  of  taking  up  the  beauty  of  this  place  and 
the  affluence  of  your  opportunities  as  the  simple  organ  of 
expression  for  your  own  piety,  you  might  degrade  them  into 
a  mechanism  for  '  attraction,'  the  rhetoric  of  a  sect  canvassing 
the  world ;  that  not  real  inner  worship  for  yourselves,  but  side 
persuasion  for  others,  might  here  give  the  tone  to  the  hours, — 
then  it  would  indeed  be  bitter  to  be  thus  forgot.  But  for  the 
rest,  the  sooner  and  further  a  greater  and  holier  spirit  snatches 
you  away,  and  leaves  these  years  enshadowed  and  traceless  in 
the  past,  the  intenser  will  be  my  joy  that  my  work  has  reached 
its  end,  that  I  am  poured  out  and  lost  on  the  offering  of  your 
faith,  and  that  the  sacrifice  is  accepted  and  complete.  And  so 
may  the  Lord  perfect  in  you  his  Grace  and  Glory !  " 


LETTERS,  1849-1857 

TO  THE  REV.  W.  R.  ALGER. 

Park  Nook,  Liverpool,  April  5,  1853. 

Your  view  of  Paul's  belief  as  to  the  effect  of  Sin  I  must 
carefully  examine.  It  may  very  likely  throw  new  light  on 
many  passages  still  obscure;  but  it  would  be  presumptuous  to 
pronounce  upon  it  without  renewed  and  special  research.     I 

334 


TO    THE    REV.  W.   R.  ALGER 

have  hitherto  thought  it  impossible  to  escape  the  conclusion 
that  Paul  did  regard  mortality  as  the  consequence  of  sin ;  and 
even  held  it  as  axiom  founded  in  the  inherent  necessity  of 
things,  that  sinlcssncss  and  dcathlessncss  were  inseparable 
and  ince  versa;  so  that  what  the  sin  of  Adam  did,  the  holi- 
ness of  Christ  undid,  and  restored  the  original  paradisaical 
immortality.  Nor  does  the  distinction  between  the  natural 
and  the  spiritual  man  appear  to  me  to  contradict  this ;  for 
this  very  distinction  —  not  less  than  its  consequence  of  death 
• —  was  perhaps  regarded  by  him  as  the  consequence  and  ex- 
pression of  Sin.  Had  the  first  parents  not  forfeited  paradise, 
they  would  have  still  been  within  reach  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree 
of  life.  The  underworld,  which  Christ  was  finally  to  close, 
and  which  the  living  Christians  at  his  coming  were  not  to 
enter,  would  never  have  been  opened  at  all,  had  mankind  re- 
mained in  Paradise.  All  would  then  from  the  first  have  es- 
caped death  in  the  same  way  with  the  living  disciples  at  the 
Advent ;  except  that  these,  retaining  the  psychical  elements 
of  their  unconverted  state,  had  to  undergo  a.  change  and  sud- 
den investiture  with  immortality ;  while  unf alien  men  would 
have  remained  pneumatic  and  never  become  psychical.  I  in- 
cline also  to  think  that  the  locality  to  which  Paul  referred  the 
scene  after  the  Advent  was  not  heaven,  but  this  earth.  Even 
I  Thess.  iv.,  which  is  the  chief  difficulty  in  the  way  of  this 
view,  seems  to  me  to  be  really  founded  on  it.  But  these  are 
minor  matters,  which,  on  the  suggestion  of  your  admirable 
paper,  I  reserve  for  reconsideration.  You  mistake  me  greatly, 
I  fear,  in  ascribing  to  me  any  special  fitness  for  recovering 
the  image  of  this  great  apostle.  I  have  long  become  so  dis- 
satisfied with  the  materials  which  I  had  partially  thrown  into 
shape  respecting  him,  and  feel  so  much  the  want  of  leisure 
and  learning  for  the  completion  of  the  once  projected  work, 
that  it  is  doubtful  whether  I  ever  venture  to  proceed  with  my 
task.  Of  late  years  my  attention  has  been  devoted  much  more 
to  philosophy  —  which  it  is  my  office  to  teach  —  than  to  the- 
ology, of  which,  scanty  as  my  store  of  it  is,  I  know  too  much 
for  my  peace,  in  a  country  and  a  sect  enslaved  to  the  letter  of 
Scripture  and  tradition. 

Should  your  Unitarian  world  split  in  twain,  it  is  possible 
that  ours  may  follow  the  example,  which  would  certainly  in- 
tensify our  tendency  to  division.  Should  no  such  impulse 
from  without  afifect  us,  we  shall  probably  hold  together  and 
gradually  take  up  the  new  elements  and  living  spirit  of  the 
present;   or  else  dwindle  away  into  merited  dissolution.    The 

335 


LETTERS,    1 849-1 857 

antagonism  between  the  conflictin£^  elements  is  less  strong 
than  with  you ;  and  the  conservative  fceUng  of  an  old  country 
makes  new  movements  —  like  Theodore  Parker's  —  impos- 
sible, except  in  some  recognised  channel.  Even  great  personal 
qualities,  like  Parker's,  when  exercised  from  an  isolated  posi- 
tion, collect  here  only  the  unsteady,  the  querulous,  and  the 
unreligious,  and  can  create  no  church.  So  with  the  keenest 
sense  of  the  very  evils  of  which  you  also  complain,  those  of 
us  who  sigh  for  connexion  with  a  nobler  life,  and  "  in  this  " 
Unitarian  "  tabernacle  do  groan  being  burthened,"  are  never- 
theless content  to  abide  in  it,  so  long  as  our  personal  freedom 
of  speech  and  conscience  is  not  interfered  with,  and  our  con- 
gregations are  faithful.  Yet,  after  all,  it  seems  an  easier  task 
to  make  other  churches  liberal  and  free  than  to  make  our  own 
devout  and  high-souled ;  and  such  works  as  the  "  Prospective 
Review "  have  more  influence  everywhere  than  among  our 
Ebionitish  people. 

Liverpool,  Jan.  16,  1854. 

It  seemed,  till  within  the  last  ten  days,  as  though  the  long 
diversion  of  my  studies  into  the  channel  of  philosophy  were 
about  to  cease  iDy  the  removal  of  our  College  to  London ;  and 
I  was  beginning  to  think  of  theology  again.  But  a  sudden  re- 
newal of  my  relation  to  the  College,  carrying  me  to  London 
for  three  days'  lecturing  in  each  fortnight,  puts  an  end  to  this 
dream  for  the  present,  and  demands  all  my  spare  time  for  the 
work  of  my  Professorship.  In  the  sensitive  condition  of  our 
Churches  here  perhaps  it  is  well  that  it  should  be  so.  On  sub- 
jects of  Morals  and  Metaphysics  a  hearing  can  be  obtained 
more  serious  and  candid  than  when  I  touch  on  questions  of 
historic  and  scriptural  criticism ;  and  though  I  have  equally 
strong  convictions  in  both  cases,  I  am  conscious  of  a  more 
careful  grounding  in  philosophy  than  in  Biblical  divinity. 
Still,  if  no  one  meanwhile  speaks  what  seems  to  me  to  need 
expression,  and  if  a  little  leisure  should  yet  be  allowed  me 
after  satisfying  this  prior  claim,  I  do  not  despair  of  returning 
in  the  autumn  of  life  to  the  project  thrown  out  in  its  spring 
time. 

•  ••••••«• 

Few  things  are  more  welcome  than  to  meet  with  a  little 
sympathy  among  men  of  a  School  of  thought  nominally  for- 
eign to  one's  own ;  and  your  report  of  my  orthodox  reader 
in  the  scene  of  your  late  excursion  is  consolatory  to  one  who 
is  accustomed  to  the  repute  of  "  an  infidel  "  at  home.     I  be- 

336 


TO    R.   H.   HUTTON,  ESQ. 

lieve  that  anyone  who  simply  seeks  the  realities  of  God  will 
find  himself  below  the  differences  of  faith,  and  speak  a  lan- 
guage foreign,  it  may  be,  to  theologic  schools,  but  vernacular 
to  natural  love. 

TO   R.   H.   HUTTON,  ESQ. 

Liverpool,  Nov.  io,  1849. 

I  quite  understand,  my  dear  Richard,  your  mortification  at 
being  called  too  profound  in  your  preaching.  You  will  be 
happy  if  the  charge  does  not  follow  you,  as  it  does  me,  through 
life,  and  repeat  itself  week  by  week,  till  your  heart  is  ready  to 
sink  in  despair.  The  passion  for  what  is  called  plainness  seems 
very  strange  in  people  whose  religion  lies  in  the  gospel  of 
John  and  the  epistles  of  Paul.  I  believe  we  must  bear  up 
against  this  reproach,  and  speak  faithfully  what  is  given  us 
to  say,  without  much  regard  to  that  standard  of  usage  which 
regulates  "  intelligibilites." 

With  love  from  us  all, 

Ever  affectionately  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

Liverpool,  June  8,  1850. 

Your  letter  comes  as  if  in  immediate  answer  to  many 
thoughts  about  you  which  have  been  visiting  me  for  some 
time ;  and  it  opens  to  me  hopes  of  something  better  than  the 
distant  imaginations  of  intercourse,  which,  after  all,  are  but 
dialogues  of  the  dead.  .  .  .  Let  us  then  hope  that  you  will 
come  to  us  about  the  24th  July,  and  either  directly  or  indi- 
rectly (as  you  may  prefer)  supply  Hope  Street  for  three  Sun- 
days at  least ;  and  we  will  consecrate  our  week-days  to  Plato, 
Kant  and  Hegel,  as  in  old  times.  We  can  find  walks  that  will 
vie  with  the  Thiergarten  even  in  this  desolate  country ;  and  if 
the  sight  of  the  distant  mountains  sets  you  panting  for  a  freer 
air,  we  will  go  off,  with  Russell,  for  a  few  days'  ramble  among 
the  hills.  In  order  fairly  to  try  the  experiment,  whether  it  is 
possible  to  vindicate  one's  holiday  without  going  from  home, 
I  mean  to  practise  a  legal  fiction  and  consider  myself  in  the 
"  County  Wicklow  " ;  being  inaccessible  to  tax-gatherers,  and 
hardened  against  Committee  Meetings,  and  perhaps  even  fre- 
quenting on  the  Sundays  obscure  and  extraordinary  churches. 
Should  dinner  invitations  come,  it  may  be  necessary  to  send 
over  to  be  answered  from  the  Irish  Coast.  So  you  must  ex- 
pect no  gaiety  and  consider  yourself  as  little  better  than  a 

22  337, 


LETTERS,   1 849-1 857 

prisoner  on  parole.  But  if  you  do  not  mind  the  seclusion 
(which,  after  all,  will  not  perhaps  be  very  complete),  come 
and  share  it  with  us.  Should  desirable  proposals  present  them- 
selves for  any  of  the  Sundays  otherwise  engaged  here,  we 
could  no  doubt  devise  some  modified  arrangement  at  the  time. 

I  hear  nothing  of  the  Owens  College,  from  which  any  rea- 
sonable conjectures  can  be  formed ;  but  my  impression  is  that 
Mr.  Scott  will  be  appointed.  The  time,  I  fear,  has  not  arrived 
when  people  of  our  class  can  get  a  hearing,  —  except,  like 
Plato's  philosopher,  from  a  knot  of  youths  in  a  corner;  and 
except  so  far  as  our  own  institutions  provide  for  us  oppor- 
tunities denied  elsewhere  we  shall  die  and  give  no  sign.  Your 
account  of  J.  H.  Newman  interests  me  deeply ;  and  I  am  burn- 
ing to  hear  him.  As  I  do  not  expect  to  be  in  Birmingham 
before  the  15th  or  i8th  July,  I  fear  his  lectures  will  be  over. 
Of  the  "  Phases  of  Faith,"  my  present  impressions  (limited 
to  the  first  two-thirds  of  the  volume)  are  undefined  and  super- 
ficial, as  I  have  read  the  book  only  in  a  railway  carriage.  As 
an  expression  of  the  truthfulness  and  simplicity  of  the  author's 
own  mind  the  book  has  an  unspeakable  charm.  In  its  train  of 
thought  there  seems  nothing  that  can  be  new  to  even  the 
slighter  students  of  modern  theology ;  and  so  far  as  the  ex- 
ternal authority  of  the  Scriptures,  their  oracular  character, 
is  concerned  the  line  of  argument  has  long  appeared  to  me 
conclusive  and  fatal.  But  the  narrowness  with  which  he  limits 
himself  to  this  one  view  strikes  me  as  something  quite  curious 
in  a  man  of  such  warm  afifections  and  clearness  of  moral  sense. 
He  never  seems  to  have  looked  at  all  —  either  in  his  early  days 
or  now  —  into  the  personality  of  Christ ;  but  to  have  regarded 
the  Gospels  as  mere  depositories  and  guarantees  of  the  Mes- 
sianic facts  necessary  as  conditions  of  the  Pauline  theory ;  and 
when  they  appeared  to  give  way  in  this  character,  they  broke 
before  him  into  nothing;  and  there  was  even  hindrance  in  the 
way  of  his  contracting  a  manifest  dislike  of  Christ.  The  origi- 
nal picture  having  faded  away,  he  does  not  appear  to  me  to 
have  possessed  the  power  of  substituting  another ;  and  at  this 
moment  I  can  find  no  trace  of  his  having  formed  any  concep- 
tion of  what  the  mind  and  life  of  Jesus  really  were,  and  what 
was  the  central  idea  that  inspired  them,  or  scheme  that  char- 
acterised them.  The  same  want  of  largeness  of  view  appears, 
I  think,  in  his  estimate  of  Christianity  in  history.  A  slight  in- 
fusion into  his  mind  of  his  brother's  doctrine  of  development 
—  of  a  Providential  concord  between  certain  religious  data 

338 


TO    R.   H.   HUTTON,   ESQ. 

and  the  conditions  of  human  character  and  history  on  which 
they  were  to  fall — would  render  his  judgments  of  this  class — 
if  I  am  not  deceived  —  much  more  trustworthy.  On  the  whole, 
I  incline  to  believe  that  for  the  discernment  of  objective  moral 
and  spiritual  beauty  something  more  is  necessary  than  a  deep 
subjective  sense  of  the  Right  and  Holy;  and  that  many  who 
personally  feci  them  are  slow  to  see  them  in  another;  per- 
haps because  they  are  felt  in  the  detail  of  particular  obligations 
and  acts,  but  can  be  seen  only  in  the  unity  of  an  entire  char- 
acter and  living  soul.  Whatever  be  the  cause,  this  power  of 
spiritual  representation  Mr.  Newman  seems  to  me  not  to 
possess.  Hence  I  do  not  think  he  is  given  to  feel  admiration, 
unless  to  some  living  person  with  whom  he  has  intercourse; 
and  between  his  own  individual  mind  and  the  Infinite  no  me- 
diating object  of  reverence  can  be  qualified  to  stand.  Hence 
when  Christianity  lost  its  place  with  him  as  a  religion  of  grati- 
tude (for  salvation)  and  then  as  a  religion  of  assurance  there 
was  no  niche  which  it  could  yet  hold  as  a  religion  of  venera- 
tion. I  am  far  from  being  sure  that  this  characteristic  is  not 
rather  a  perfection  of  mind  and  that  the  clinging  to  images  of 
extreme  admiration  may  not  be  a  weakness.  If  so,  it  is  a  weak- 
ness in  which,  for  my  own  part,  I  find  it  indispensable  to  live; 
and  without  which,  however  secure  against  possible  delusion, 
I  should  fancy  myself  doomed  to  certain  blindness.  I  may 
perhaps  have  to  review  this  book  for  the  "  Prospective  " ;  but 
I  want  Mr.  Tayler  to  do  it. 

Liverpool,  Jan.  i6,  1851. 

Late  as  it  is  to  send  New  Year's  wishes  you  will  not  despise 
them,  or  think  them  less  hearty  because  they  are  not  punctual 
to  their  date.  I  do  trust  indeed  that  this  will  be  a  brighter  and 
happier  year  to  you  than  any  past  one ;  and  that  in  various 
ways  the  anxieties  and  doubts  of  a  transition  period  will  be 
clearing  themselves  away.  I  cannot  but  think  that  you  will 
find  a  permanent  settlement  in  Manchester,  though  it  is  diffi- 
cult at  present  to  be  confident  of  the  quomodo.  In  all  specu- 
lations on  the  probable  turn  of  public  aflfairs,  and  their  bearing 
on  Ecclesiastical  and  Educational  matters,  I  always  have  your 
image  before  me,  and  fancy  the  opening  of  some  glorious 
sphere  just  adapted  to  make  the  most  of  you ;  and  you  cannot 
imagine  how  many  costumes  I  have  tried  on  you,  to  see  how 
they  would  fit.  There  are  some  schemes  floating  in  my  mind 
which  I  should  much  like  to  talk  over  with  you,  but  which,  I 
am  afraid,  are  too  daring  to  be  written  about.    Could  you  not 

339 


LETTERS,   1 849-1 857 

spend  a  few  days  with  us  on  your  way  to  Manchester,  —  in- 
cluding a  Sunday,  and  then  accompany  me  on  the  following 
Wednesday  to  Manchester?  Sunday  next  (19th  inst.)  I  have 
to  give  an  evening  lecture,  and  your  help  in  the  morning  would 
be  very  welcome ;  and  the  Sunday  following  it  would  be  still 
more  so,  because  it  might  be  douljled  and  come  most  lawfully 
to  an  unfortunate  mortal  who  is  almost  spent  with  scribbling 
and  drunk  with  ink,  and  tempted  in  his  rage  to  rebel  against 
the  alphabetical  characters  altogetlier,  —  to  curse  Cadmus  and 
die.  Do  contrive  this.  I  know  that  when  you  are  once  settled 
at  Manchester  we  sliall  not  be  able  to  get  hold  of  you,  and  the 
only  hope  is  to  catch  you  on  the  way.  Mrs.  M.  has  been  urg- 
ing me  not  to  let  this  opportunity  slip,  and  all  the  young 
people  will  be  delighted,  —  to  say  nothing  of  Leyson  Lewis, 
who  is  with  us  at  present. 

Liverpool,  May  19,  1S52. 

Whewell's  book  lies  on  my  table ;  but  I  have  hardly  looked 
into  it  yet,  except  to  see  that  he  introduces  one  to  some  new 
acquaintances,  and  retains  most  of  his  old  formulas.  In  spite  of 
the  "  Athenaeum's  "  praise,  I  rather  dread  the  task  of  reading 
the  book ;  for  I  find  him  a  wearisome  writer,  giving  one  neither 
genial  help  nor  brave  contradiction.  His  thought  never  looks 
at  you  and  meets  your  eye ;  and  to  commune  with  him  is  as 
uncomfortable  as  to  converse  with  a  squinting  person.  I  was 
in  hopes  that  you  would  review  him  for  the  "  Prospective  " ; 
but  Mr.  Tayler  tells  me  we  must  not  urge  it  at  present.  I 
felt  quite  ashamed  to  ask  you  to  correct  the  last  pages  of  my 
Oersted  paper  for  me,  and  most  heartily  obliged  by  your 
ready  acceptance  of  the  commission.  I  had  written  under 
great  pressure  of  anxiety  and  difficulty  and  could  not  avoid 
being  run  to  the  last ;  and  as  the  conclusion  had  reference  to 
the  translation,  the  correction  of  the  press  was  important. 
Carlyle's  "  Pantheism  "  is  not  like  that  of  Oersted  or  any 
philosopher,  and  is,  I  fear,  an  unmanageable  object  of  attack. 
It  is  so  wholly  unsystematic,  illogical,  wild,  and  fantastic,  that 
thought  finds  nothing  in  it  to  grapple  with.  How  can  one 
refute  the  utterances  of  an  oracle  or  the  spleen  of  a  satirist? 
His  power  over  intellectual  men  appears  to  me  not  unlike  that 
of  Joe  Smith  the  prophet  over  the  Mormons ;  dependent  on 
strength  of  will  and  massive  efiFrontery  of  dogma  persevered 
in  amid  a  universal  incertitude  weakening  other  men.  The 
sick  and  anxious  always  like  best  the  physician  who  has  m.ost 
assurance ;    they  are  comforted  by  the  presence  of  so  much 

340 


TO    R.  H.   HUTTON,  ESQ. 

force,  —  just  as  poor  prostrate  France  will  believe  in  rilles 
and  eagles  after  ceasing  to  believe  in  anything  else.  Carlyle's 
influence  appears  to  spring  much  less  from  what  he  says,  es- 
timated by  its  own  persuasiveness,  than  from  the  mere  con- 
sideration that  such  a  man  as  he  thinks  all  moral  and  religious 
doctrine  just  so  much  unbelievable  trash.  1  know  not  how 
such  an  influence  can  be  met,  except  by  a  positiveness  as 
powerful  and  as  gifted.  By  the  way,  have  you  seen  the  Cam- 
bridge "  Restoration  of  Belief,"  and  can  you  conjecture  the 
author?  I  half  fancy  it  may  be  Isaac  Taylor;  though  I  do  not 
know  his  later  writings,  and  have  an  imperfect  remembrance 
of  his  style.  The  pretension  of  the  book,  thus  far,  greatly  out- 
strips the  performance.  It  is  indeed  powerfully  written  and 
indicates  much  accomplishment  in  the  author.  But  its  strength 
is  in  expression  and  statement,  not  in  argument,  or  correct  ap- 
prehension of  principles ;  and  there  is  a  certain  fussy,  eager 
laying  out  of  the  subject,  which  seems  to  show  more  desire  to 
attain  the  end  than  clear  power  to  do  so.  Nevertheless  the 
tract  is  highly  interesting  and  has  some  passages  of  rich  and 
acute  remark.  I  should  much  like  to  find  out  the  author. 
Another  book  of  the  same  kind,  —  "  The  Eclipse  of  Faith,"  I 
dare  say  you  have  seen,  —  designed  chiefly  as  an  answer  to 
Newman  and  Parker  Vv^ith  occasional  reference  to  Greg.  It 
takes  up  the  position  that  there  is  no  tenable  middle-point  be- 
tween absolute  Atheism  and  unqualified  reception  of  the  whole 
Bible  (with  the  scheme  of  orthodox  doctrines)  as  the  word  of 
God.  It  clearly  exposes  the  difference  of  religious  philosophy 
found  among  the  so-called  "  Spiritualists."  But  no  real  justice 
is  done  to  the  opinions  it  would  refute ;  and  the  temper  of  the 
book  is  caustic  and  ungenerous.  In  reading  these  things,  I 
am  ashamed  of  the  effect  they  have  upon  my  weakness ;  not 
on  my  convictions,  —  for  I  see  where  they  logically  fail,  —  but 
on  my  mere  human  feelings ;  —  it  is  so  painful  to  be  exiled 
from  the  sympathies  of  faith,  and  observe  the  horror  and  scorn 
with  which  others  regard  what  is  religion  to  us.  I  long  so 
profoundly  to  believe  as  others  do,  and  feel  so  keenly  their  ex- 
pressions of  alienation  and  contempt,  that  the  only  fault  I  find 
with  these  attacks  is  that  they  are  inadequate  to  convince  me. 
While  my  own  faith  seems  to  become  clearer  every  year,  and 
to  bear  the  test  of  repeated  experiment  upon  new  questions,  so 
that  I  can  trust  myself  to  it  more  quietly  than  ever,  I  yet  am 
unaccountably  disturbed  by  the  reproaches  of  confident  critics 
and  inclined  to  distrust  myself  rather  than  to  repel  them.  It 
is  perhaps  one  of  the  advantages  of  a  faith  resting  merely  on 


LETTERS,   1 849-1 857 

a  supposed  external  authority  —  like  the  Bible,  as  used  by  the 
orthodox  —  that  its  possessors  can  be  unboundedly  dogmatic 
without  conscious  self-conceit,  even  with  an  intenser  piety; 
while  those  who  feel  the  contingency  of  their  faith  upon  sub- 
jective conditions,  as  well  as  on  objective  revelation,  accuse 
themselves  of  personal  immodesty  in  holding  pertinaciously 
their  own  ground. 

Skelwith  Bridge,  near  Ambleside,  July  24,  1854. 

Many  of  your  "  Inquirer  "  papers  and  notices  are  truly  de- 
lightful to  me ;  not  least  so  your  notice  of  the  "  Theologia 
Germanica,"  —  noble  gem  of  a  book  as  it  is  deep  and  divine 
almost  beyond  Scripture  itself.  As  to  Mr.  Thom's  tender  and 
beautiful  Sermon,^  I  confess  to  a  sympathy  with  it  too  pro- 
found to  consist  with  an  unhesitating  approval  of  its  confes- 
sions. True  to  the  core,  it  tells  what  I  think  should  remain  a 
hidden  cross,  screened  from  sympathy,  and  not  asking  to  be 
understood.  An  inner  struggle  that  is  inevitable,  —  the  very 
condition  of  spiritual  life  and  productiveness — the  birth-throes 
of  humanity  in  its  regeneration,  —  why  should  such  a  thing 
be  spoken  of?  Experiences  no  doubt  are  different.  But  for 
myself,  I  do  not  think  that  the  evil  arises  at  all  considerably 
from  the  frequency  of  preaching.  Waiting  to  he  moved  does 
not  really  and  honestly  answer;  and  with  thought  and  spirit 
ever  so  ready,  I  still  find  the  shadow  of  the  task  as  deep  and 
dark.  The  difficulty  is  ever  great  of  accommodating  the  spirit 
to  the  mechanism  of  life,  and  to  erect  into  professions  any  of 
the  higher  expressions  of  the  soul  —  Poetry,  Art,  Religion  — 
must  always  seem  to  contradict  their  freedom,  and  press  se- 
verely on  their  inspiration.  Yet,  in  fact,  is  not  Necessity  their 
condition  as  surely  as  God's  spirit  is  their  source;  and  is  not 
Pain  the  appointed  path  of  their  realisation,  —  the  Via  Dolo- 
rosa of  whatever  saving  help  they  bring?  The  tendency  of 
this  suffering  to  drive  us  to  the  refuge  of  routine  is  undeni- 
able; but  routine  soon  benumbs  the  suffering  and  kills  the 
inspiration ;  and  he  who  can  describe  the  one  and  be  the 
prophet  of  the  other,  as  our  dear  friend  can,  bears  involun- 
tary witness  that  he,  of  all  men,  is  free  of  the  danger  from 


1  This  refers  to  "  A  Farewell  Sermon,"  preached  in  Renshaw  Street  Chapel 
on  the  25th  of  June.  Mr.  Thorn  retired  for  a  time  from  the  ministry  because 
he  felt  oppressed  by  the  incessant  demand  for  the  expression  of  religious  thoughts 
and  feelings ;  and  in  the  sermon  he  laid  bare  his  inmost  sentiments  upon  this 
subject.  —  J.  D. 


TO    R.   H.   HUTTON,   ESQ. 

which  he  flics.  I  feci  therefore  great  sympathy  with  the  laity 
who  say  that  his  reasons  are  refuted  by  the  very  force  and 
spirit  with  which  he  states  them,  and  who  ask  why  suspend 
the  conditions  which  at  least  have  sufficed  to  mature  so  ripe 
a  power?  But  how  difficult  it  is  to  keep  the  boundary  clear 
which  separates  the  healthful  from  the  morbid  action  of  the 
religious  Hfe! 

Liverpool,  April  ii,  1S55. 

Your  sensitiveness  to  Mr. 's  complaints  is  highly  amus- 
ing to  me ;  almost  as  much  so  as  his  own  droll  demand  for 
something  "  free  and  positive,"  with  the  evident  reservation 
that  the  "  freedom  "  be  not  taken  with  his  prepossessions,  and 
the  "  positive  "  be  the  construction  of  no  other  religion  than 
his  own.  What  is  the  use  of  trying  to  conciliate  this  sort  of 
criticism,  and  by  so-called  "  tact  "  to  mediate  between  real  con- 
tradictions ?  '*  Tact  "  has  reference  only  to  practical  and  per- 
sonal affairs,  and  consists  essentially  in  delicate  consideration 
for  every  shade  of  feeling  which  may  co-exist  in  the  pursuit  of 
a  common  end.  But  in  matters  of  objective  truth  it  has  no 
place;  and  precisely  what  is  respectable  in  any  man's  intellect 
surely  is,  that  he  sees  his  faith  in  its  full  difference  from  other 
men's,  as  well  as  in  its  elements  of  agreement.  Your  articles 
have  always  been  remarkable  for  their  respectful  personal  ap- 
preciation of  all  really  worthy  men  and  writers  from  whom 
you  differ ;  and  beyond  this  it  would  be  unfaithful  to  go.  For 
my  own  part,  I  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  "  Review," 
were  not  its  religious  philosophy  clearly  and  definitely  and 

earnestly  at  variance  with  the  type  of  belief  for  which  Mr. 

speaks.  I  dread  all  aim  at  comprehensiveness  that  may  imply 
indistinct  thought  and  feeble  eclecticism.  In  these  vacillating 
days  it  is  a  blessing  to  men  to  be  helped  to  a  conviction  by  the 
force  and  decision  of  minds  that  really  have  a  faith ;  and  we 
mistake  our  mission,  I  think,  if  we  write  circumspectly  and 
dream  of  any  other  concessions  than  those  of  gentle  and  genial 
human  feeling. 

BoRROWDAi-K,  NEAR  Keswick,  July  15,  1S56. 

The  attempt  to  single  out  and  disengage  the  Christian  ele- 
ment in  history,  with  the  assumptions  that  in  so  doing  you 
(i)  separate  the  Divine  from  the  Human  and  (2)  must  resort 
to  the  Gospels  as  your  clue,  seems  to  me  to  be  a  piece  of  false 
analysis,  necessarily  yielding  a  thin  and  meagre  result.  If  God 
were  in  all  the  prior  preparations  of  the  world,  especially  in 
the  aspirations  of  the  Socratic  and  Platonic  philosophy  and 

343 


LETTERS,   1 849-1 857 

the  moral  thirst  of  which  men  became  conscious  in  the  fever- 
ish decHne  of  Pap^anism,  —  surely  the  powerful  working  of 
these  elements  within  the  early  Christianity  is  no  less  Divine 
than  the  reaction  of  the  evangelical  facts  on  them;  and  the 
theology  of  Christendom,  with  all  its  deep  questions  respecting 
God  and  Humanity,  is  to  be  regarded,  notwithstanding  its 
Hellenic  and  Oriental  factors,  as  an  integral  system  forming 
stages  of  development  in  the  realisation  of  Divine  truth.  I 
cannot  express  myself  as  I  wish ;  but  perhaps  you  will  trans- 
late me  into  some  intelligible  sense. 

TO   REV.   J.    H.   THOM. 

Park  Nook,  Prince's  Park,  April  26,  1S51. 

Dear  Friend,  —  You  have  indeed  left  me  a  charming  legacy 
of  remembrance,  through  wdiich  I  shall  commune  with  you  in 
your  absence.  Scanty  as  our  intercourse  must  be  in  this  busy 
life,  it  is  delightful  to  me  to  be  in  every  possible  way  asso- 
ciated with  you;  and  especially  to  be  held  worthy  to  join  you 
in  your  tribute  of  reverence  to  the  noblest  of  apostles  and  the 
most  living  monument  from  the  literature  of  Christian  an- 
tiquity,^ To  serve  truth  and  sanctity  zvitJi  you  and  under  Paul 
is  a  lot  which  the  most  favoured  men  might  well  consider 
blessed.  The  book  looks  most  attractive ;  and  I  do  not  think 
I  see  it  only  through  the  loving  light  of  dedication. 

TO   MISS   CATHERINE   WINKWORTH. 

Park  Nook,  Liverpool,  Oct.  6,  1855. 

My  DEAR  Miss  Catherine,  —  Let  me  confess  to  you  a  sin 
of  greediness  which  I  should  hardly  have  brought  home  to 
myself  but  for  the  aid  of  your  precious  gift.  I  had  hung  back 
from  ordering  your  volume,^  though  it  excited  my  eager  long- 
ing, in  the  secret  hope  that  perhaps  it  might  spontaneously 
appear.  Yet  it  was  not  any  stinginess,  —  as  you  will  believe, 
—  but  a  certain  particular  delight  in  being  not  forgotten  by 
pupils  and  friends  dear  to  my  own  memory  that  made  me 
repress  my  impatience  for  a  few  days.  And  now  you  have  re- 
warded my  presumption,  and  rendered  the  book  doubly  sacred 


^  Referring  to  Mr.  Thorn's  "St.  Paul's  Epistles  to  the  Corinthians:  an 
Attempt  to  convey  their  Spirit  and  Significance."  The  dedication  to  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau  bears  the  date  "April  14th,  1851. 

2  The  "  Lyra  Germanica." 

344 


TO    MISS    SUSANNA    WINKWOPvTH 

by  your  friendly  and  gracious  words.  Many  delightful  hours 
have  I  spent  with  the  originals  of  these  hymns ;  and  it  is  easy 
to  see  at  once  that  your  translation  introduces  them  to  the 
English  reader  with  the  least  possible  drawback  from  passing 
out  of  their  own  language.  The  difficulty  of  really  naturalising 
them  among  us  arises,  I  think,  less  from  the  mere  interposi- 
tion of  a  foreign  medium  of  expression  than  from  a  funda- 
mental difference  of  national  feeling  in  regard  to  religion ;  the 
extreme  intvardncss  of  the  German  Christian  sentiment  appear- 
ing to  the  English  a  little  sickly  and  unreal ;  and  the  more  de- 
scriptive or  historical  hymns  of  our  own  country  seeming  to 
Germans  often  painfully  anthropomorphic,  and  usually  defi- 
cient in  close  personal  appropriation  of  the  life  and  death  of 
the  Redeemer.  A  better  service  cannot  be  rendered  than  such 
a  mediation  between  the  two  as  your  volume  tends  to  effect. 

TO   MISS   SUSANNA  WINKWORTH. 

Liverpool,  Dec.  7,  1852. 

My  dear  Miss  Wink  worth,  —  I  know  not  how  to  thank 
you  sufficiently  for  your  remembrance  of  me  on  the  appear- 
ance of  your  second  edition.^  The  moment  I  saw  the  adver- 
tisement, I  took  measures  for  satisfying  my  curiosity ;  but 
before  they  could  have  effect,  your  splendid  announcement 
came ;  and  I  feel  quite  elated  with  my  unexpected  wealth. 
Heartily  do  I  congratulate  you  on  the  completion  of  your 
task,  and  your  well-earned  leisure  for  a  little  irresponsible 
reading  and  reflection.  I  fear  that  the  recent  bereavement 
sustained  by  our  poor  friend  Dr.  Pertz  will  have  detained  out 
of  your  hands  any  materials  comprised  in  his  last  volume  of 
"  Stein."  I  am  very  curious  to  see  the  defence  of  Niebuhr's 
political  conduct  from  the  criticism  of  Mr.  Newman  and  the 
Westminster  Reviewer.  The  fault  appears  to  me  to  have  been 
real ;   but  more  in  his  temperament  than  in  his  will. 

The  pressure  of  other  work  has  prevented  me  from  passing 
at  present  beyond  the  first  volume  of  the  "  Hippolytus."  The 
critical  part  of  Bunsen's  case  appears  to  me  in  the  main  estab- 
lished ;  and  in  the  free,  truth-loving  spirit  of  the  book  there  is 
an  unspeakable  charm.  Whether  his  judgment  against  Baur 
and  Schwegler  as  to  Gospel  of  John  is  really  sound,  I  feel 
some  doubt;    and  he  seems  slightly  touched  by  the  prevalent 


1  "The  Life  and  Letters  of  B.  G.  Niebuhr,"  edited  and  translated  by  Susanna 
Winkworth. 

345 


LETTERS,    1 849-1 857 

disposition  to  run  down  what  is  called  the  "  Tiibinf^en  school," 
notwithstanding  a  generous  testimony  to  the  merits  of  Baur's 
"  christlichc  Gnosis." 

Your  few  expressive  words  about  Bunsen's  religious  scheme 
of  thought  will  send  me  to  his  second  volume  with  double  in- 
terest. It  would  indeed  be  a  true  joy  to  me  to  find  again  the 
fruits  of  my  own  striving  thought  as  the  results  also  of  his 
infinitely  richer  knowledge  and  larger  view.  Hitherto  I  have 
always  found,  in  the  German  religious  philosophy,  an  excess 
of  the  Hellenic  over  the  Hebrew  element,  —  a  phenomenon 
precisely  reversed  in  England,  and  above  all  among  the  Uni- 
tarians. And  if,  as  you  suppose,  there  would  be  a  limit  to  the 
concurrence  I  could  feel  with  Bunsen,  this,  it  is  probable,  is 
the  source  from  which  the  divergency  would  proceed. 

Liverpool,  March  19,  1856. 

I  have  Kuno  Fischer's  two  volumes,  and  have  carefully  read 
the  earlier  of  them  (the  "  Spinoza")  and  partially  the  second. 
They  appear  to  me  to  deserve  a  great  deal  of  the  praise  be- 
stowed upon  them  by  Chev.  Bunsen.  Considered  simply  as 
expositions  of  given  philosophical  systems,  they  have  the  high 
merit  of  appreciating  each  system  from  the  interior,  and  pre- 
senting its  configuration  as  shaped  out  from  its  essential  spirit, 
instead  of  describing  it  chiefly  in  its  exterior  aspect.  His  ac- 
count of  "  Spinoza  "  is  the  most  successful  and  complete  I  have 
ever  met  with.  But  were  I  asked  from  what  point  of  view 
Fischer  himself,  after  completing  his  several  historical  expo- 
sitions, contemplates  and  compares  the  results,  I  should  cer- 
tainly say  from  one  altogether  Pantheistic,  and  other  than 
Christian.  I  need  not  say  that  this  does  not,  in  my  opinion, 
disqualify  him  in  any  way  for  the  work  he  undertakes  as  an 
historian  and  teacher  of  philosophy ;  or  that  I  think  the  per- 
secution he  has  undergone  anything  but  disgraceful  to  the 
authorities  that  removed  him.  .  .  .  Bacon  is  a  great  subject. 
England  is  under  a  false  and  unintelligent  idolatry  of  his  name. 
To  shake  this  would  be  a  good  work.  But  it  is  of  the  utmost 
consequence  that  the  antagonism  should  come  from  the  right 
side,  —  from  an  English  direction,  moral  and  religious,  — 
and  not  from  the  Modern  German  philosophy,  which  will 
never  get  any  real  hold  of  the  English  mind.  The  matter  is 
of  more  delicacy  just  now,  because  Spedding's  "  Life  and 
Works  of  Bacon  "  are  on  the  eve  of  publication,  and  will  oc- 
casion a  strong  resistance  to  any  foreign  attempts  to  destroy 
the  national  idol. 

346 


TO    MISS    SUSANNA    WINKWORTH 

Liverpool,  May  21,  1S56. 

I  wish  Bunsen  would  tell  you  what  he  wants  to  say,  and  let 
you  say  it  in  your  own  lucid  and  forcible  way.^  The  diffuse 
flood  of  his  speech  does  not  suit  our  English  love  of  energy, 
directness,  and  concentration ;  and  his  spirit,  always  noble 
and  often  in  seasonable  relation  to  our  wants,  would  have 
more  power  by  transfusion  through  the  mind  of  such  inter- 
preters as  he  might  find  in  you.  With  his  knowledge  of  our 
affairs,  if  he  could  only  write  like  Karl  Schwarz  (whose  capi- 
tal little  book,  "  Zur  Geschichte  der  neuestcn  Theologie,"  you 
have  doubtless  seen)  he  might  obtain  a  weighty  influence  over 
our  ecclesiastical  development. 

You  ask  about  Valdesso.  He  was  a  Spanish  gentleman 
contemporary  with  Luther  and  in  sympathy  with  the  re- 
formatory movement.  Removing  to  Naples,  he  wrote,  in 
1550,  a  book  of  Practical  Piety,  entitled  "  One  Hundred  Con- 
siderations " ;  from  an  Italian  version  of  which  an  English 
Translation,  approved  and  recommended  by  George  HerJDert, 
was  made  by  Nicholas  Farrer  in  1638.  The  book  is  now  rare. 
My  young  friend  Henry  A.  Bright  has  picked  up  a  copy, 
which  he  has  lent  to  me,  and  which  I  asked  and  obtained  his 
permission  to  send  to  you  by  any  safe  hand.  His  interest  in 
the  book  arises  mainly  from  the  reputed  "  Unitarianism  "  of 
the  author ;  and  he  is  anxious  to  make  out  that  *'  we  too " 
have  our  mystical  theologians.  I  have  not  yet  read  the  book 
through.  But  thus  far  I  find  nothing  of  the  depth  and  tender- 
ness of  either  "  Tauler  "  or  the  "  Theologia  Germanica  "  ;  and 
much  more  that  is  dogmatically  objectionable,  —  c.  g.,  the  doc- 
trine of  satisfaction,  in  applications  almost  antinomian.  The 
book,  however,  is  interesting  and  curious,  and  marked  by  the 
exaltation  of  the  "  Spirit  "  above  the  "  Word,"  which  is  a  dis- 
tinctive feature  of  the  Mystics,  I  will  send  it  you  by  the  first 
opportunity. 

Park  Nook,  Liverpool,  Dec.  26,  1856. 

Many  things  have  contributed  to  fulfil  your  friendly  wishes 
for  the  happiness  of  this  Christmas  time ;  but  nothing  in  a 
greater  degree  than  the  surprise  of  your  delightful  gift  of 


1  This  presumably  refers  to  Bunsen's  "  Signs  of  the  Times :  Letters  to  Ernst 
Moritz  Arndt  on  the  danger  to  religious  liberty  in  the  present  state  of  the 
world :  translated  by  Susanna  Winkworth,  1856."  The  preface  is  dated 
February  29.  — J.  D. 

347 


LETTERS,   1 849-1 857 

"  Taulcr."  I  unpacked  it  with  reverent  hand  last  evening-; 
and  when  the  excitement  of  the  day  was  over,  and  the  young 
folks  had  gone  upstairs  with  their  burthen  of  gifts  and  thank- 
fulness, indulged  myself  with  the  first  draught  of  its  pure 
wisdom.  I  see  at  once  that  the  book  will  be,  for  the  rest  of 
my  life,  one  of  my  sacred  guides;  and  will  stand,  after  my 
Bible,  with  Plato,  and  Leighton,  and  the  "  Theologia  Ger- 
manica,"  and  Coleridge,  and  Tennyson,  and  the  German  and 
.Wesley  Hymns.  A  strange  jumble,  you  will  say,  of  hetero- 
geneous springs  of  thought !  —  yet  all,  I  think,  assuaging  to 
the  same  thirst.  I  do  thankfully  congratulate  you  on  the 
completion  of  such  a  work,  and  on  having  clear  hours  at 
Christmas  to  rejoice  in  the  blessing  you  have  brought  to 
many  a  reader. 


TO   THE   REV.   A.  W.  WORTHINGTON. 

Liverpool,  Oct.  15,  1853. 

The  very  question  on  which  your  thoughts  have  been  en- 
g-aged  interests  me  just  now  a  good  deal  in  connexion  with 
Mr.  Newman's  new  Chapter  in  the  "  Phases  of  Faith  "  and 
Mr.  Gordon's  notice  of  it  in  the  "  Reformer."  They  both  of 
them  lay  down  and  defend  the  principle,  that  Moral  Perfec- 
tion is  an  impossible  predicate  of  human  nature,  and  is  con- 
ceivable only  under  supernatural  conditions.  Mr.  Newman, 
regarding  Christ  as  a  mere  man,  pronounces  him  imperfect. 
Mr.  Gordon,  conceiving  his  Moral  Perfection  unimpeachable, 
is  confirmed  by  it  in  the  belief  of  his  supernatural  protection 
from  all  possible  sin.  To  me  the  consequences  of  this  prin- 
ciple appear  to  be  precisely  what  you  so  clearly  state.  If  all 
that  is  transcendent  in  Christ's  sinless  character  is  due  to  an 
exceptional  provision  in  his  favour,  it  can  impose  no  obliga- 
tion because  it  represents  no  possibility  for  us.  It  is  not  an 
exhibition  of  human  but  of  superhuman  excellence,  and  may 
be  beautiful  in  our  eyes,  like  the  image  of  an  angel-nature, 
but  not  binding  to  our  conscience.  Nor  is  it  properly  moral 
excellence  at  all,  but  rather  constitutional  symmetry  and  grace 
of  soul,  as  little  imitable  by  us  as  a  clear  complexion  or  a  fine 
form.  The  doctrine  appears  to  me  eminently  unscriptural 
also.  The  fact  that  he  "  was  without  sin  "  would  have  lost 
all  its  wonder,  in  the  eyes  of  the  early  disciples,  but  for  its 
connexion  with  the  antecedent,  that  "  he  was  tempted  in  all 
points  as  we  are,"  which  would  no  longer  be  true  on  Mr. 

348 


TO   REV.  A.  W.  WORTHINGTON 

Newman's  principle.     And  again  his  exaltation  is  uniformly 
treated  by  the  apostles  —  especially  Paul  —  as  the  reward  of 
his  obedience.     But  what  a  mockery  to  represent  God  as  first 
taking   care    (by   supernatural   outfit   or   protection)    that   he 
should  not  sin,  and  then  rewarding  him  for  his  immaculate- 
ness !    I  confess  myself,  moreover,  quite  unable  to  discover  any 
tendency,  in  a  hyperphysical  nature  or  miraculous  powers,  to 
produce  moral  perfection.     Such  advantages  would  alter,  for 
their  possessor,  the  problem  of  duty,  —  surround  him  with  new 
conditions,  —  lift  him  to  a  higher  level  of  responsibility ;    but 
would  leave  it  just  as  possible  to  abuse  this  larger  trust  as  for 
us  to  abuse  our  smaller.     We  deceive  ourselves  by  talking  of 
human   frailty  as  if  it  were  an  attribute  of  our  race  exclu- 
sively, and  would  be  escaped  by  going  out  into  higher  na- 
tures.   Surely  liability  to  sin  must  attach  to  all  beings  capable 
of  a  moral  life,  and  invested  with  a  holy  trust  at  all ;    and  a 
bad  angel  must  be  just  as  possible  as  a  wicked  man.     The 
possibilities  of  unfaithfulness  can  never  be  shut  out  so  long 
as  you  remain  in  that  realm  of  Free-will,  beyond  which  faith- 
fulness  and   unfaithfulness   alike   disappear.      Either   Christ's 
preternatural    gifts    rendered    his    obligations    proportionally 
larger  and  more  intense;    and  then  they  were  no  moral  gain, 
for  force  and  difficulty  were  increased  together.     Or  else  he 
was  allowed,  with  superhunian  powers,  to  restrict  his  aims  to 
the  human  problem;   and  then  his  work  was  set  on  easier  con- 
ditions than  ours.     The  only  way  to  preserve  the  application 
of  Christ's  Ideal  to  our  Actual  —  so,  at  least,  it  has  always 
seemed   to   me  —  is   to   identify   the   moral   conditions   of   his 
life  and  ours,  and  to  consider  his  inspiration  as  an  enlarge- 
ment instead  of  a  relief  to  his  trust,  conceded  to  his  prior  and 
pre-eminent  fidelity.     In  this  light  it  becomes,  not  an  excep- 
tional  and   anomalous   phenomenon,    but   only   a  conspicuous 
sample  of  the  universal  Law  of  God's  communion  with  the 
human  soul,  —  viz.,  that  whoever  uses  a  little  grace  well  shall 
be  endowed  with  more ;  and  if  he  be  true  again  to  this  greater, 
his  spiritual  light  shall  still  increase ;    and  so  on  without  end. 
I  see  no  sufficient  reason  for  supposing  that  there  was  any 
particular  date  to  which  his  inspiration  should  be  assigned  as 
a  new  event,  though  doubtless  his  inner  life  was  not  without 
its  crises.    Rather  do  I  think  of  it  as  an  ever-growing  quantity, 
blending  more  and  more  of  the  Divine  with  the  Human  in 
him  as  his  history  deepened.     Christ  is  thus  the  concrete  ex- 
hibition of  what  God  means  by  human  nature ;    of  His  sym- 
pathy with  its  fidelity ;  of  His  destination  of  it  to  immortality. 

349 


LETTERS,   1849-1857 

And  the  miraculous  clement  in  the  gospel  history  does  not, 
in  this  view,  disqualify  Jesus  for  representing  the  general  Law 
of  our  spiritual  life  and  lot ;  but  may  be  regarded  merely  as 
the  means  of  giving  conspicuousness  and  visibility  of  scale  to 
an  exemplary  phenomenon  not  otherwise  easily  detected  as 
Unique. 


350 


Chapter    VII 
PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON,    1857-1869 

On  his  removal  to  London,  Mr.  Martineau  took  a  house 
in  Gordon  Street,  not  far  from  the  scene  of  his  labours  in 
University  Hall.^  The  aspect  of  the  house  must  have 
looked  dreary  enough  after  the  comparatively  rural  situa- 
tion of  Park  Nook.  A  small  back  parlour,  with  no  more 
delightful  prospect  than  brick  walls,  was  selected  for  the 
study.  But  if  the  exterior  of  the  apartment  was  unat- 
tractive, the  interior  was  adorned  with  handsome  ma- 
hogany book-cases,  filled  with  richly  bound  volumes;  for 
its  occupant  was  not  indifferent  to  the  appearance  of  his 
tools,  and  was  always  scrupulously  neat  and  orderly  in 
his  work.  He  wrote  on  a  small  pedestal  table  which  was 
well  provided  with  drawers,  and  had  not  only  a  desk  on 
which  to  write,  but  one  which  could  be  elevated  by  a  rack, 
so  that,  when  he  wished  to  change  his  posture,  he  could 
read  standing.  The  mornings  in  which  he  was  not  en- 
gaged at  College  were  carefully  guarded  from  intrusion, 
and  visitors  were  not  admitted  without  inquiries  whether 
it  was  convenient  for  him  to  receive  them.  If,  however, 
he  was  able  to  see  them,  nothing  could  be  more  gracious 
and  kindly  than  his  reception  of  them.  The  drawing- 
rooms,  as  is  usual  in  old  London  houses,  were  upstairs; 
and  here,  on  stated  evenings,  friends  assembled,  and  any 


1  The  number  of  the  house  at  this  time  was  lo.  It  was  afterwards  changed 
to  5;  so  that  the  altered  number  in  the  headings  of  his  letters  does  not  indicate 
a  change  of  residence. 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [1857 

students  who  presented  themselves  were  sure  of  a  wel- 
come, and  of  some  pleasant  mingling  in  cultivated  society. 
For  nearly  twelve  years  from  this  time  Mr.  Martineau 
was  thrown  into  intimate  association  with  the  Rev.  J.  J. 
Tayler,  the  Principal  of  the  College.  We  have  already 
met  with  the  latter  as  one  of  the  editors  of  the  "  Prospec- 
tive Review,"  and  in  other  connections;  but  it  is  now  time 
to  note  what  manner  of  man  he  was.  Pie  was  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  senior  by  nearly  eight  years.  Like  him,  he  had, 
through  his  grandmother,  a  strain  of  French  Huguenot 
blood  in  his  veins.  If  those  who  are  fond  of  tracing  the 
influence  of  heredity  can  find  in  this  fact  a  reason  why 
the  two  men  were  so  congenial,  it  must  not  blind  us  to  the 
great  differences  by  which  they  were  distinguished  from 
one  another.  So  obvious  were  these  differences  that  stu- 
dents who  incurred  the  terrible  charge  of  being  micro- 
scopic imitations  of  Tayler  and  Martineau  used  to  wonder 
how  they  could  resemble  both ;  but  the  resemblance  im- 
plied in  this  charge  probably  meant  no  more  than  that 
they  both  read  German  theology,  and  entertained  a  highly 
spiritual,  which  meant  a  very  hazy  and  sentimental,  view 
of  religion.  Mr.  Tayler's  grave  and  earnest  face,  though 
sometimes  catching  the  light  of  gentle  smiles  and  laughter, 
was  just  touched  with  a  look  of  sadness  left  by  the  recent 
loss  of  his  only  son,  a  young  barrister  of  great  promise. 
To  the  students  he  was  all  kindness  and  consideration,  so 
that  no  one  feared  to  approach  him;  yet  no  one  took  ad- 
vantage of  this,  for  the  nobility  of  his  character  and  the 
extent  of  his  accomplishments  commanded  universal  re- 
spect, and  in  some  men  far  deeper  feelings  than  respect. 
His  nature  was  pervaded  by  a  spirit  of  devotion,  which 
imparted  to  him  a  saintly  simplicity  and  sweetness;  and 
whatever  view  may  be  taken  of  his  theology,  no  one 
who  could  look  beneath  the  surface  would  deny  that  he 
was,  at  heart,  a  Christian  indeed  in  whom  was  no  guile. 

352 


1857]  J.  J.  TAYLER 

This  beauty  of  character  was  combined  with  large  scholar- 
ship, and  with  an  intellect  capable  of  wide  and  deep  think- 
ing. Nevertheless  in  intellectual  power  and  impressiveness 
he  was  not  the  peer  of  his  younger  colleague.  There  was 
sometimes  a  certain  timidity  in  the  expression  of  his  opin- 
ions, which  was  due  to  his  candid  love  of  truth  and  the 
breadth  of  his  outlook.  Truth,  he  constantly  said,  had 
not  one  side,  but  many  sides;  and  he  seemed  often  to  feel 
that  much  might  be  urged  against  his  own  conclusions, 
and  that  there  might  be  some  aspect  of  the  question  at 
issue  that  he  had  failed  to  observe.  If  this  humility  of 
search  and  judgment  had  a  valuable  effect  in  silently  re- 
buking the  self-confident  dogmatism  of  youth,  it  some- 
times had  a  depressing  influence,  making  all  religious  prob- 
lems appear  too  complex  for  any  trustworthy  solution. 
The  consequence  was  that,  in  some  cases  at  least,  Mr. 
Tayler's  finest  qualities  were  not  fully  appreciated  till  the 
students  had  left  the  College,  and  the  total  and  combined 
impression  of  the  man  stamped  itself  on  the  memory.  It 
was  quite  otherwise  with  Mr.  Martineau.  Equally  candid, 
and  equally  respecting  the  liberty  of  his  pupils,  he  knew 
his  own  mind.  The  students  felt  that  they  were  not  only 
listening  to  a  brilliant  exposition,  but  were  in  presence  of 
one  who  had  mastered  his  subject,  who  had  carefully 
thought  out  every  problem  for  himself,  and  occupied  his 
ground  with  a  well-based  confidence;  and  if  they  found 
it  less  easy  to  approach  him,  they  expected,  not  indeed 
greater  tenderness,  but  more  complete  sympathy  and  in- 
sight. They  were  sure  that  the  precise  point  of  any  diffi- 
culty would  be  understood,  and  the  weak  spot  in  any  faulty 
conclusion  made  clear.  But  the  differences  in  the  tempera- 
ment and  power  of  the  colleagues  only  helped  to  adapt 
them  more  perfectly  to  one  another.  Mr.  Martineau  had 
the  deepest  reverence  for  his  Principal,  and,  with  his  more 
intimate  knowledge,  gives  him  a  higher  intellectual  rank 
*3  353 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [X857 

than  the  foregoing  sketch  would  suggest.  He  says  that 
"  Mr.  Tayler  has  been  the  EngHsh  Schleiermacher.  How 
much  that  implies;  what  a  vast  and  well-organised  con- 
ception of  the  theological  sciences  in  themselves  and  in 
their  relations;  what  a  living  sense  of  religion  animating 
them  all,  and  redeeming  them  from  erudite  dryness;  what 
patient  scholarship;  what  acute  critical  discernment;  what 
grasp  of  the  essence  and  free  handling  of  the  forms  of 
Christian  life;  what  elevation  above  both  prejudice  and 
fear,  —  will  be  understood  by  all  who  are  familiar  with  the 
greatest  German  divine  since  the  Reformation."  He  adds 
that  "  if  Mr.  Tayler's  dialectical  and  speculative  skill  was 
less  marked  than  Schleiermacher's,  his  critical  judgment 
was  less  fanciful,  and  his  historical  feeling  both  sounder 
in  itself  and  directed  by  more  thorough  archaeological  and 
literary  knowledge."  ^ 

Two  letters,  written  by  Mr.  Martineau  to  his  friend, 
the  Rev.  W.  R.  Alger,  soon  after  the  removal  to  London, 
throw  light  upon  the  thoughts  and  feelings  with  which  he 
left  Liverpool,  and  entered  on  his  new  duties :  — 

10  GoKDON  Street,  W.  C,  Sept.  28,  1857. 

My  dear  Mr.  Alger,  —  My  manifold  debts  to  you  I  must 
be  content  to  acknowledge  without  pretending  to  pay.  You  will 
see  from  my  new  address  something  of  the  distracting  claims 
which  have  interfered  with  my  regularity  of  correspondence. 
In  this  conservative  country  it  is  no  light  thing  for  a  man  of 
not  unfaithful  affections  to  break  up  the  home  of  five-and- 
twenty  years,  and  pitch  his  tent  anew,  —  especially  when  he 
has  to  move  upon  his  way  through  skirmish  and  ambuscade, 
and  clear  for  himself  a  pathway  as  he  goes.  I  trust  that  time 
and  better  knowledge  will  subdue  the  rancorous  opposition  on 
the  part  of  a  few  through  which  I  have  to  pass  to  my  new 
duties  here ;  but  for  the  moment  it  gives  me  a  new  and  painful 


1  From  "In  Memoriam,  Rev.  John  James  Tayler,  B.A.,"  1869,  reprinted  in 
Essays,  I.  The  whole  should  be  read  by  those  who  wish  for  further  knowledge 
of  Mr.  Tayler;  and  also  the  preface  to  Mr.  Thorn's  edition  of  his  letters,  1872, 
as  well  as  the  letters  themselves. 

354 


X257]    LETTERS    TO    REV.  W.  R.  ALGER 

experience  of  the  unscrupulous  and  self-deceiving  character 
of  theological  antipathy.  Happily,  with  like-minded  associ- 
ates, and  the  entire  confidence  of  the  College  authorities,  there 
is  good  hope  of  final  conquest  over  all  difficulties. 

The  deeper  the  shade  of  detraction  at  home,  the  more  con- 
solatory, you  will  readily  believe,  is  a  friendly  and  apprecia- 
tive word  from  abroad.  Were  I  younger  and  vainer,  Mr. 
Starr  King's  glowing  and  elaborate  article  might  spoil  me. 
But  from  my  advanced  post  of  life  I  find  it  not  difficult  to  be 
grateful  without  elation,  and  to  accept  the  sympathy,  without 
appropriating  the  praises,  of  a  younger  generation  of  friends. 
The  faults  indicated  and  complained  of  I  know  to  be  real ; 
the  counterbalancing  good  assigned  to  me  will  serve  to  direct 
my  aims  and  sustain  the  standard  of  all  future  work.  The 
whole  number  of  the  "  Examiner  "  promises  well.  The  only 
anxiety  I  feel  about  it  is,  lest,  with  its  higher  and  more  genial 
tone  of  feeling,  it  should  recede  too  far  from  the  sober  and 
scholarly  style  of  the  "  elder  school."  Pretty  advice,  you  will 
say,  to  come  from  me !  but  no  counsel  is  more  sincere  than  that 
which  cannot  be  given  without  condemning  oneself. 

It  is  very  strange  to  me  to  find  my  preaching  days  come  to 
an  end,  and  to  subside  into  the  layman's  habit  all  at  once. 
The  release  from  Sunday  duty  has  revived  the  hope  of  realis- 
ing certain  plans  of  more  systematic  production  than  has 
hitherto  been  possible.  If  life  be  continued  and  the  present 
persecution  overcome,  I  shall  not  despair  of  executing  here  a 
scheme  of  philosophical  construction  already  partially  worked 
out  in  many  of  its  principal  features,  and  in  its  ground-plan 
long  laid  down. 

It  is  a  great  satisfaction  to  have  left  my  people  in  charge 
of  my  friend  W.  H.  Channing  for  a  year.  No  arrangement 
could  have  been  so  secure  and  good.  He  has  won  golden 
opinions  in  Liverpool  and  in  England  generally  by  his  fault- 
less dispositions  and  his  free  mind  and  heart,  even  where  his 
opinions  are  but  little  accepted.  His  residence  among  us  has 
done  us  much  good.  Farewell,  dear  Mr.  Alger;  do  not  be- 
lieve any  evil  of  me,  whatever  the  "  Christian  Reformer  "  and 
"  Inquirer  "  may  say. 

lo  Gordon  Street,  W.  C,  Dec.  31,  1S57. 

My  dear  Mr.  Alger,  —  The  last  moments  of  the  retiring 
year  cannot  be  better  spent  than  in  words  of  grateful  acknowl- 
edgment for  your  precious  letter  of  last  month,  and  of  answer 

355 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1857 

to  the  questions  it  contains.  Whatever  reproaches  for  nejjlect 
my  conscience  may  carry  as  its  burthen  into  a  new  time,  you 
shall  not  be  associated  with  them,  if  I  can  help  it.  Accept  my 
heart's  greetings  on  the  threshold  of  the  year.  May  it  bring 
you  every  blessing  which  a  wise  and  Christian  man  can  ven- 
ture to  desire,  and  even  where  the  least  "  happy,"  be  full  of 
sacred  significance!  By  all  ordinary  rules  of  reckoning  you 
ought  to  pass  the  line  from  year  to  year  with  more  hopeful 
step  than  I ;  yet  somehow  —  God  be  praised  —  the  natural 
lapse  of  life  seems  to  me  no  evil,  and  the  future  —  whether 
here  or  there  —  looks  to  me  as  fresh  and  bright  as  it  ever  did. 
My  friend  and  successor,  W.  H.  Channing,  preaches  that  "  old 
age  is  a  delusion  " ;  and  I  do  not  think  he  will  change  his  doc- 
trine when  he  has  reached  my  stage.  The  last  year,  however, 
has  been  a  great  crisis  to  me,  and  transferred  me  to  the  last 
period  of  active  service ;  not  without  opposing  storms  un- 
known to  me  before.  Their  strength  is  not  yet  fully  spent ; 
and  it  is  not  impossible  that  they  may  sweep  me  away  from 
the  field  of  my  work.  But  if,  as  I  rather  expect,  they  blow 
over  and  disappear,  there  is  plenty  of  honourable  and  con- 
genial labour  before  me  to  fill  and  animate  the  remaining 
years  of  life.  The  Annual  Meeting  of  our  College  Trustees 
(held  on  the  21st  January)  will  probably  clear  up  everything, 
—  expose  the  absurdity  of  the  recent  animosity,  and  enable 
us  to  work  in  peace.  This  alone  is  wanting  to  satisfy  our 
moderate  desires.  Our  students  are  sufficiently  numerous, 
and  of  exemplary  zeal  and  disposition.  My  friend  and  col- 
league, J.  J.  Tayler,  is  universally  admired  and  revered  for 
his  rare  graces  of  mind  and  character,  and  secures  the  dignity 
of  the  Institution  of  which  he  is  the  Head.  We  are  so  en- 
tirely like-minded  and  like-hearted  in  all  that  affects  our  joint 
feeling  and  action,  that  there  is  but  one  will  between  us.  And 
in  our  younger  coadjutor  —  my  son  Russell  (with  whose  ap- 
pointment, you  will  believe,  I  had  no  more  to  do  than  Presi- 
dent Buchanan,  and  who  never  offered  himself  at  all,  but  was 
sent  for  and  elected  without  any  candidateship) — we  have 
a  thoroughly  trained  scholar,  adequately  representing  in  its 
breadth  the  modern  Oriental  philology,  and  peculiarly  uniting 
precision  and  enthusiasm  in  his  pursuits.  So  amongst  us  we 
hope  to  do  something  for  the  advancement  of  sacred  studies 
in  our  small  sphere. 

At  present,  dear  friend,  the  pressure  of  new  work  is  too 
severe  upon  me  to  admit  of  any  writing  except  for  my  class- 
room ;    and  I  am  constrained  to  decline,  almost  wholly,  even 

i  356 


1857]  NATURE    OF    SIN 

occasional  preaching;  having  never  entered  a  pulpit  or  stood 
upon  a  platform  since  I  left  Liverpool.  I  have  been  consider- 
ing, however,  whether  I  could  not  find  something  suitable  to 
add  to  the  volume  on  "Sacerdotal  and  Spiritual  Christianity."^ 
And  I  propose  to  send  you,  as  soon  as  I  can  revise  and  write 
out,  a  discourse  originally  entitled  *'  Sinful  Doctrines  of  Sin."  ^ 
It  develops  the  consequences,  in  relation  to  the  prevailing  the- 
ology of  the  Personal  nature  of  sin ;  and  harmonizes  with  the 
other  papers  of  the  intended  volume  in  being  at  once  critical 
and  constructive.  It  will  not  add  as  much  as  you  desire  to 
the  bulk  of  the  volume,  but  it  is  longer  than  an  ordinary  ser- 
mon. Had  I  been  on  your  Committee  of  Selection,  I  should 
have  voted  for  the  exclusion  from  the  volume  of  "  Peace  in 
Division  " ;  and  the  introduction  instead  of  the  ''  Christian 
View  of  Moral  Evil."  But  doubtless  other  judgments  are 
better. 

I  am  gratified  by  Dr.  Hedge's  willingness  to  give  me  a  place 
in  the  "  Examiner."  I  am  far  from  saying  that  I  shall  never 
remind  him  of  his  promise;  but  for  a  while  I  must  regard 
myself  as  unreservedly  due  to  academic  claims. 

Mr.  Giles's^  message  afifected  me  much.  His  name  recalls 
a  thousand  kindly  and  interesting  memories;  and  it  is  de- 
lightful to  hear  from  you  a  report  of  him  that  precisely  re- 
news and  continues  the  old  charm.  If  you  see  him  give  him 
kindest  greetings  from  me;  and  say  how  glad  I  was  to  see 
his  handwriting  in  a  letter  delivered  by  his  astronomical 
friend  just  at  the  moment  of  my  leaving  Liverpool.  I  had 
no  house  over  my  head  at  the  time,  and  could  do  no  honour 
to  his  introduction;  and  have  heard  nothing  of  his  friend 
since. 

The  discourse  referred  to  in  the  second  of  these  letters 
is  a  sermon  on  i  Timothy  i.  5 :  "  Now^  the  end  of  the  com- 
mandment is  charity,  out  of  a  pure  heart,  and  of  a  good 
conscience,  and  of  faith  unfeigned."  It  is  assumed  that 
this  Epistle  is  the  w^ork  of  the  Apostle  Paul,  though  at  a 
later  time  he  regarded  the  spuriousness  of  the  Pastoral 
Epistles  as  fully  established.     The  object  of  the  discourse 

1  The  volume  published  in  London  under  the  title  of  "  Studies  of  Christian- 
ity."    I  have  not  seen  the  American  edition.  —  J.  D. 

2  Appearing  in  the  volume  as  "  Sin  ;  what  it  is,  what  it  is  not." 
*  One  of  the  three  champions  in  the  Liverpool  Controversy. 

357 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1858 

is  to  insist  on  tlie  "  personal  nature  of  sin,"  by  which  he 
meant  tliat  "  each  man  is  a  person,  and  not  a  thing;  and 
that  his  sin  is  his  own,  and  not  another's^  In  evidence  of 
this  he  states  briefly,  but  with  perfect  distinctness,  the  doc- 
trine which  is  elaborated  in  his  great  work  on  ethics,  and 
then  applies  it  in  refutation  of  the  doctrines  of  different 
schools,  that  men  are  totally  depraved,  that  they  are  through 
and  through  the  creatures  of  circumstance,  and  that  guilt 
and  merit  can  be  transferred.  He  finds  "  remission  of 
sins,"  not  in  rescue  from  the  penal  laws  of  God,  but  in 
conversion  to  an  inner  sympathy  with  God,  when  "  the 
averted  face  of  the  Infinite  has  turned  round  upon  us 
again;  and  the  pure  eyes  look  into  us  with  a  mild  and 
loving  gaze,  which  we  can  meet  with  answering  glance, 
and  feel  that  we  are  at  one  with  the  universe  and  recon- 
ciled with  God." 

Congreve's  translation  of  the  "  Catechism  of  Positive 
Religion  "  supplied  him  with  an  occasion  for  an  elaborate 
criticism  of  "  Comte's  Life  and  Philosophy,"  ^  which  ap- 
peared in  the  "  National  Review  "  for  July,  1858.  This 
must  be  reserved  for  future  notice. 

The  succeeding  number  contained  an  article  on  "  Pro- 
fessional Religion,"  ^  which  ought  to  be  pondered  by  every 
student  for  the  ministry.  It  begins  with  a  notice  of  sev- 
eral recent  books,  including  "  Scenes  from  Clerical  Life." 
His  critical  sagacity  has  not  detected  the  sex  of  the  author; 
but  he  tells  us  that  "  Mr.  Eliot's  strength  lies  in  the  con- 
ception of  female  character."  The  leading  object  of  the 
essay  is  to  explain  the  "  very  feeble  hold  of  the  world  " 
possessed  by  the  ministers  of  religion.  It  is  not  due,  as 
one  of  the  books  suggests,  to  mere  faults  of  elocution, 
nor  to  be  cured  by  "  nice  doses  of  rhetorical  breath," 
which  would  deprive  the  chief  of  all  realities  of  a  first- 

^  Reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological,"  and  in  Essays,  I. 
*  Reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 


1858]      "PROFESSIONAL    RELIGION" 

hand  simplicity.  It  must  be  traced  to  "  a  fatal  variance 
between  the  represented  and  the  real  religion  of  the  living 
generation."  This  may  be  owing  partly  to  the  very 
breadth  of  opportunity  enjoyed  by  the  teachers  of  religion, 
"  too  great  for  a  definite  official  class  to  occupy  with  suc- 
cess." Distinct  duties  and  powers  are  provided  for  a 
priesthood;  but  in  spite  of  Anglican  attempts,  sacerdotal 
mediation  has  vanished  from  modern  Christendom,  The 
existence  of  a  clerical  profession  rests  upon  a  twofold  need. 
The  recorded  letter  of  divine  truth  requires  a  learned  min- 
istry, with  ripe  scholarship  and  disciplined  thought,  to 
snatch  men  from  the  tyranny  and  isolation  of  their  own 
age.  But  this  culture  must  have  no  insincerities  and  re- 
servations, no  obligation  to  certain  critical  and  dogmatic 
results;  for  a  man  in  the  stocks  cannot  rise  up  and  show 
you  the  way.  There  is  also  the  unwritten  Word,  the  ap- 
peal to  the  Living  Witness  of  God  in  our  humanity,  which 
demands  the  prophet's  voice.  "  The  dim  and  mystic  zone 
of  our  higher  nature,  where  the  human  meets  with  the 
Divine,  grows  so  clear  to  some,  that  they  can  divide  the 
light  from  the  darkness,  and  turn  what  to  us  is  a  confused 
chaos  into  a  firmament  of  stars."  The  prophetic  power  is 
a  gift,  whereas  learning  must  be  acquired ;  but  there  is  no 
incompatibility  between  the  two,  and  the  former  should 
be  eager  for  the  yoke  of  patient  discipline.  "  The  native 
prophetic  fire  often  burns  into  false  heats  of  impatience 
and  presumption  upon  young  hearts,  and  tempts  them  to 
decline  the  toils  and  despise  the  discipline  of  steady  cul- 
ture. But  this  belongs  to  its  human  infirmity,  not  to  its 
divine  excellence;  and  entails  the  vitiating  curse  insepa- 
rable from  pride  and  conceit."  The  article  then  proceeds 
to  consider  the  sources  of  the  actual  feebleness  of  the 
ministry,  and  to  show  that  the  conditions  imposed  upon 
preachers  are  enough  to  suppress  the  clearest  religious 
genius,  and  that  no  mind  of  the  first  order  could  move 

359 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [1858 

freely  under  the  weight  of  dogma  it  is  expected  to  carry. 
There  is  also  the  inherent  danger  which  besets  an  official 
class,  of  losing  the  primary  devoutness  in  a  "  concern  for 
religion,"  which  busies  itself  with  analysing  and  estimat- 
ing either  other  people's  religion,  or  else  its  own,  and 
makes  party  ties  partake  more  of  corporate  egotism  than 
of  personal  affection.  Accordingly  there  is  an  "  unorgan- 
ised religion  sleeping  or  struggling  in  men's  hearts  beyond 
the  circle  of  the  organised,"  and  in  spite  of  disaffection 
towards  the  churches,  the  writer  doubts  "  whether  the 
hearts  of  Englishmen  were  ever  more  prepared  for  being 
drawn  together  by  common  sentiments  of  reverence,  con- 
science, and  aspiration." 

His  address  this  year  at  the  opening  of  the  College 
Session  in  October  bears  the  title:  "Plea  for  Biblical 
Studies  and  Something  More."  ^  Beginning  with  an  allu- 
sion to  the  recent  death  of  Mr.  Wellbeloved,  whom  he 
describes  in  words  of  reverent  appreciation,  he  took  the 
opportunity  of  referring  to  the  conflict  through  which  he 
and  his  colleague  had  passed.  As  successors  of  such  men 
as  Wellbeloved  and  Kenrick  they  were  bound  to  keep  as 
near  as  they  could  to  the  front  ranks  of  advancing  research 
in  their  respective  fields;  but  as  they  were  marching  in  al- 
legiance to  the  same  Divine  Master,  they  expected  a  gen- 
erous trust.  The  problem  of  the  College  had  always  been 
to  reconcile  the  interests  of  free  learning  with  the  practical 
training  for  the  Christian  ministry ;  and  its  supporters  had 
been  too  noble-minded  to  indulge  a  suspicion  that  these 
two  ends  should  be  incompatible.  Proceeding  to  note  the 
most  essential  changes  in  the  aspect  of  their  educational 
problem,  he  sketched  the  old  doctrine  of  biblical  infalli- 
bility, with  the  branches  of  learning  which  it  necessitated, 
and  found  sufficient;  and  then  described  the  change  which 
had  been  brought  about  by  natural  science,  comparative 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

360 


1858]     "PLEA  FOR  BIBLICAL  STUDIES'* 

philology,  and  historical  criticism.  Owing  to  this  change 
a  critique  had  to  be  found  for  the  Matter  of  Scripture,  in 
addition  to  the  interpretation  of  its  words;  and  the  in- 
struments of  this  critique  were  the  sciences  of  nature,  the 
verdicts  of  conscience,  and  the  indications  of  history.  The 
general  result  was  that  with  the  Divine  element  of  Scrip- 
ture they  had  to  recognise  the  human,  and  from  the  human 
world  beyond  the  range  of  Scripture  we  were  less  eager  to 
exclude  the  Divine;  and  so  all  history  was  drawn  into  the 
drama  of  divine  revelation.  In  unfolding  these  views  he  for 
a  moment  draws  the  curtain  from  his  own  past  life,  and 
shows  once  more  how  the  growth  in  his  theology  was 
largely  the  result  of  his  own  natural  experiences,  which 
had  not  been  so  spoiled  by  artificial  restraints  as  to  be- 
come inoperative:  "  I  well  remember  (perhaps  it  is  only  a 
personal  confession  which  I  make)  the  half-guilty  feeling 
with  which,  in  young  and  fervent  days,  I  found  myself  sur- 
prised into  passionate  admiration  of  the  story  of  Socrates, 
and  taken  captive  by  words  that  seemed  to  me  of  unspeak- 
able religious  depth  in  Plato,  or  even  in  Cicero  and  Seneca. 
I  accused  myself  of  an  unchristian  perversity,  —  a  want 
of  evangelical  simplicity  and  humbleness,  —  because  often 
Greek  and  Roman  history  stirred  the  tides  within  me  more 
than  the  image  of  Galilean  Apostles,  —  because  the  struggle 
for  Hellenic  freedom  appeared  more  sacred  than  the  con- 
quest of  idolatrous  Canaan,  and  Leonidas  nobler  than 
Gideon,  —  because,  read  what  I  might  in  favour  of  a  gen- 
eral resurrection  in  the  body,  the  Phaedon  tempted  me  to 
hope  rather  for  the  immortality  of  the  soul.  Every  beauty 
and  good  that  fastened  wonder  or  reverence  on  a  world 
reputed  alien  from  God,  was  felt  to  detract  from  the 
glories  of  his  chosen  sphere,  and  to  weaken  that  contrast 
between  a  profane  and  a  sacred  realm  on  which  every- 
thing was  staked.  The  time  is  surely  come  when  these 
artificial  anxieties  may  disappear." 

361 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1858 

Tlie  Icng-th  of  the  College  vacation  enabled  Mr,  Mar- 
tineau  to  extend  to  three  months  the  period  of  his  country- 
retreat.  He  spent  this  summer  on  the  coast  of  Cornwall, 
and  the  following  letter  to  Mr.  Tayler,  who  was  staying 
in  Germany,  gives  a  picturesque  account  of  his  surround- 
ings, and  throws  a  valuable  light  upon  the  thoughts  with 
which  his  mind  was  occupied :  — 

West  Pkntire,  Aug.  15,  1858. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  Just  as  I  was  beginning  to  pine  for 
tidings  of  you  came  your  letter,  so  bright  and  refreshing  as 
to  be  a  vacation  in  itself.  It  is  delightful  to  know  that  you 
have  found  so  congenial  a  rest,  and  feel  at  once  a  rebound 
from  the  oppressive  weight  of  the  London  summer  Term. 
Though  your  present  neighbourhood  is  unknown  to  me,  there 
are  a  few  points  in  your  description  of  your  journey  that 
touch  the  memories  of  ten  years  ago.  Especially  have  I  a 
pleasant  remembrance  of  Dr.  Bethmann,  whom  I  met  more 
than  once  at  Dr.  Pertz's  house,  and  who  must  have  been,  I 
think,  at  that  time,  in  the  Berlin  library.  He  occupies  a  place 
once  filled  by  one  of  the  most  original  and  comprehensive 
thinkers,  surely,  that  ever  tried  the  great  problem  of  Histori- 
cal Religion,  Lessing  and  Schleiermacher  appear  to  me  to 
stand  far  above  all  other  men  of  the  last  few  generations  in 
their  apprehension  of  the  organic  principles  of  a  scientific 
theology.  It  is  the  precious  privilege  of  our  vacation  that  we 
really  can  escape  into  communion  with  such  minds  from  the 
fret  and  dust  of  sectarian  anxieties,  and  see  something  beyond 
the  circle  of  too  near  a  life.  But  when  I  half  long  to  be  with 
you  and  enjoy  the  further  aid  of  your  constant  counsel  and  a 
foreign  scene,  I  console  myself  with  the  thought  that  it  stops 
scandal  for  one  of  us  to  be  content  with  England.  "What 
would  our  friends  .  .  ,  and  .  .  .  augur  for  the  College  if 
both  its  Professors  ran  oflf  to  Germany  as  soon  as  the  Session 
was  over,  to  get  up  their  work  for  the  next?  And,  after  all, 
this  place,  on  which  I  ventured  rather  at  hap-hazard,  suits  us 
remarkably  well.  Its  complete  retirement  —  amid  about  half 
a  dozen  small  farmhouses  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  any  town — 
would  be  objectionable  except  to  a  largish  family  having  some 
variety  of  resource  among  themselves ;  but  we  find  it  unspeak- 
ably refreshing.  The  one  impressive  feature  of  the  whole 
district  is  the  grandeur  of  the  coast  line;  —  a  lofty  bulwark 

362 


1858]       LETTER    FROM    CORNWALL 

of  contorted  slate  rocks,  throwing  out  rugged  headlands  and 
islands  into  the  sea,  perforated  with  tremendous  caverns  col- 
oured like  a  fancy  grotto ;  and  intersected  here  and  there 
with  picturesque  veins  of  quartz  and  dykes  of  porphyry. 
With  a  clear  Atlantic  line  that  strikes  no  land  to  the  West 
short  of  America,  we  have  a  sea  of  stainless  purity  and  in- 
conceivable brilliancy  of  colour.  .  .  .  Inland  the  country  is 
somewhat  dreary  from  want  of  wood,  though  its  outline  is 
varied  and  its  surface,  where  undefiled  by  mining  operations, 
well  cultivated.  Nothing  can  be  more  delightful  than  the 
climate,  so  far  as  we  have  experienced  it ;  fresh  and  bracing, 
without  the  harshness  and  dryness  of  the  air  upon  the  Eastern 
coast.  What  with  the  sea-breeze  and  a  good  swim  through 
the  waves  every  day,  we  hope  to  find  ourselves,  at  the  three 
months'  end,  pretty  well  salted-up  for  winter  use.  .  .  .  There 
is  something  in  the  Cornish  people  which  particularly  pleases 
us,  —  a  balance  of  independence  and  kindly  politeness,  equally 
removed  from  the  rudeness  of  Lancashire  and  the  servile 
smoothness  of  the  Southern  peasantry.  Even  the  mining 
population,  usually  the  least  civilised,  presents  a  striking  con- 
trast to  the  corresponding  class  in  Staffordshire  and  Wales ; 
and  has  never  again  descended  to  the  level  from  which  John 
Wesley  raised  them.  Methodism,  though  it  has  forfeited  pop- 
ular regard  by  its  hierarchical  ambition,  still  wields  greater 
power  as  a  habit  and  tradition  than  the  Church  exercises  as 
a  living  body;  and  the  clergyman  of  this  place  (where 
Methodism  is  exceptionally  weak)  himself  told  me  —  in  an- 
swer to  a  remark  about  the  apparent  absence  of  schools  in 
the  neighbourhood  —  that  almost  everything  in  the  way  of 
popular  education  in  the  country  was  done  by  the  Dissenters. 
My  meditation  every  day,  dear  friend,  is  almost  exclu- 
sively of  the  work,  under  some  aspect  or  other,  to  which  we 
are  jointly — and  I  trust  for  the  whole  remainder  of  our  active 
life  —  committed.  Through  the  goodness  of  God  I  find  my- 
self in  something  like  the  position  which,  from  my  youth  up, 
has  seemed  to  me  the  most  desirable  concluding  stage  of  an 
active  career ;  —  the  associate,  in  congenial  Academic  labour, 
for  ends  distinctively  Christian,  of  the  one  only  man  for 
whom,  in  such  a  partnership,  I  could  feel  an  unconditional 
trust  as  my  guide,  and  affectionate  admiration  as  my  model 
in  all  sorts  of  things  as  yet  beyond  me.  The  very  ideal  of 
opportunity  seems  come,  according  to  the  measure  of  my 
early  dreams ;  —  all  the  more  awful  is  the  doubt  whether  I 
have  faculty  and  fidelity  to  do  my  part  in  it;    or  whether  I 

2^3 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1858 

shall  disappoint  you  in  the  hopes  you  have  so  good  a  right 
to  form.  I  do  really  believe  that  the  time  is  ripe  for  a  great 
enlargement  of  theological  view  in  connexion  with  a  deepen- 
ing of  Christian  faith  among  thoughtful  persons  in  this  coun- 
try. Nor  do  I  much  doubt  that  you  and  I  have  been  brought 
into  a  state  of  mind  fitting  us  in  some  respects  to  aid  this 
change  in  our  own  circle.  If  we  had  ten  years  of  systematic 
College  teaching,  Pulpit  Services,  and  Publication,  I  do  sup- 
pose we  might  leave  our  generation  not  without  some  impres- 
sion of  what  we  deem  a  higher  faith  and  purer  philosophy. 
At  times  I  look  forward  to  such  a  possibility  with  sanguine 
hope  and  joy ;  and  then  again,  under  some  shadow  of  self- 
distrust  and  despondency  it  vanishes  as  a  presumptuous  de- 
lusion. There  is  perhaps  ground  for  permanent  and  serious 
doubt  whether  the  religious  body  which  supplies  us  with  our 
basis  of  work  will  entrust  us  with  the  requisite  freedom,  or 
has  itself  a  sufficient  future  before  it,  to  give  occasion  and 
support  for  such  improvement  as  we  desire.  But  on  this  it 
is  idle  to  speculate;  the  conditions  are  assigned  to  us  by 
Providence,  and  we  must  reduce  their  difficulties,  and  apply 
their  resources  as  we  can.  And  I  completely  feel  with  you 
that  nothing  is  so  immediately  urgent  as  the  supply  to  our 
pulpits  of  a  few  men  trained  by  us  to  unite  the  intellectual 
habits  of  the  scholar  with  the  practical  earnestness  and  power 
of  the  Christian  preacher  and  pastor.  .  .  .  The  theological 
students,  I  quite  think,  require  to  be  spared  so  much  copying 
of  notes ;  it  is  altogether  a  vicious  system,  for  which  nothing 
can  be  said.  Perhaps,  however,  it  is  not  necessary,  in  order 
to  change  it,  that  the  practice  of  Lecturing  should  be  relin- 
quished in  favour  of  printed  Text-books  as  the  basis  of  a 
course  of  reading.  A  teacher  has  two  things  to  do  in  his 
class :  viz.  ( i )  to  open  up  the  existing  literature  of  his  sub- 
ject; and  (2)  to  bring  the  action  of  his  own  mind  to  bear 
upon  it.  The  question  is,  how  best  he  can  combine  these 
objects.  He  may  either  construct  and  present  out  of  his  own 
thought  the  main  organism  of  his  subject;  and  then,  as  he 
takes  up  one  member  of  it  after  another,  expound  and  com- 
pare the  chief  judgments  of  standard  writers  on  the  topics  it 
includes ;  or,  he  may  adopt  the  organic  frame-work  from 
some  established  author,  to  whose  text  he  must,  in  that  case, 
leave  the  selection  and  critical  report  of  other  related  types 
of  opinion;  and  then,  he  will  add  on  his  own  part  by  way  of 
corrective  and  supplementary  annotation.  Now  all  my  work 
has  been  done  on  the  former  principle.    Every  course  is  essen- 

364 


1858]       LETTER    FROM    CORNWALL 

tially  constructive,  and  fiUed  in  with  historical  and  critical 
abstracts  of  the  most  important  schools  of  opinion,  —  oppo- 
site or  allied.  To  invert  this  order  —  to  let  some  given  author 
(Reid,  for  example)  do  the  construction,  whilst  I  became  his 
annotator  —  would  require  me  to  begin  over  again,  and  prac- 
tically throw  out  of  use  every  page  I  have  ever  written.  Nor, 
in  dealing  with  subjects  of  inward  and  reflective  apprehen- 
sion, does  it  seem  to  me  possible  for  the  Teacher  to  do  his 
duty  simply  as  critical  and  judicial  annotator.  Where  every- 
thing depends  so  much  on  First  Principles,  Method,  Intel- 
lectual Form,  and  so  little  in  comparison  on  the  Matter,  taken 
in  detail,  he  cannot  well  dispense  with  the  independent  elabo- 
ration of  his  own  scheme,  or,  if  he  has  once  formed  it,  break 
it  into  footnotes  and  excursus  without  destroying  its  evidence 
and  vitality.  The  very  epitomes  and  critiques  of  opinion, 
largely  interspersed  in  each  course,  would  cease  to  be  intel- 
ligible or  available,  if  transposed  to  suit  the  order  of  a  printed 
Text-book ;  referring,  as  they  necessarily  do,  to  prior  sec- 
tions in  my  own  order.  I  do  not  see  my  way,  therefore,  to 
any  material  change  in  the  method  of  prelection  hitherto 
adopted.  But  the  same  end  may  be  gained  by  very  simple 
means,  viz.  absolutely  discouraging  the  practice  of  copying 
out  notes.  When  I  was  at  College,  we  took  such  notes  as  we 
could  at  the  time,  and  found  them  quite  sufficient,  though  the 
lectures  were  read  much  faster  than  at  present.  There  is  no 
reason  why  our  students  should  not  do  the  same ;  and  I  quite 
intend  to  quicken  my  rate  of  reading  so  as  to  render  ver- 
batim reports  impossible,  and  induce  the  class  to  rely  on  in- 
telligent listening,  resulting  in  abstracts  made  during  the 
hour,  and  supplemented  by  reading  a  certain  portion  of  the 
references.  Should  I  be  able,  within  reasonable  time,  to 
bring  out  (as  I  venture  to  hope)  a  short  systematic  Text- 
book on  each  of  the  three  Departments  under  my  care,  — 
Mental,  Moral,  Religious  philosophy,  in  preparation  for  more 
extended  treatment  of  at  least  the  Ethics  in  an  ulterior  work, 
—  I  could  then  reduce  the  lecturing  within  much  smaller 
compass,  and  the  difficulty  would  be  effectually  met.  ...  If, 
whilst  we  are  educating  a  dozen  students,  those  who  distrust 
us  are  educating  all  the  rest  of  our  public,  there  is  inevitable 
jar  and  discord  in  preparation.  I  confess  that,  on  this  ac- 
count, I  regret  the  Sunday  silence  to  which  we  are  doomed, 
and  should  look  with  much  hope  to  its  removal,  though  the 
burthen  of  preaching,  congenial  as  it  is,  is  ever  full  of  mani- 
fold travail  and  sorrow  to  me.     In  both  of  us,  dear  friend, 

365 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1859 

all  ambition,  in  any  self-seeking-  sense,  is  dead,  I  do  believe. 
But  the  older  we  grow,  the  more  may  we  naturally  feel  an 
anxiety  —  surely  not  unholy  —  to  spend  and  apply  all  that  is 
in  us  in  the  service  of  a  world  we  must  soon  quit." 

The  opportunity  of  influencing  a  wider  public  through 
the  ministrations  of  the  pulpit  was  unexpectedly  opened. 
On  the  1 2th  of  October  his  old  friend,  the  Rev.  Edward 
Tagart,  minister  of  Little  Portland  Street  Chapel,  died  at 
Brussels,  on  his  way  home  from  a  visit  to  Transylvania. 
Mr.  Tayler  and  Mr.  Martineau  were  earnestly  pressed  to 
accept,  as  colleagues,  the  vacant  office;  and,  after  some 
hesitation,  due  to  the  uncertainty  of  their  obligations  to 
the  College  Committee,  the  invitation  was  accepted.  Be- 
fore accepting,  however,  they  thought  it  necessary  to  sat- 
isfy themselves  as  to  the  demands  of  the  Trust-deed,  and 
they  wrote  a  letter  to  the  representatives  of  the  congrega- 
tion in  which  they  clearly  defined  their  position.  They 
stated  that  their  religious  views  were  those  of  "  Unitarian 
Christianity,"  and  that  they  would  not  "  shrink,  on  suit- 
able occasions,  from  asserting  them  in  undisguised  sim- 
plicity, and  exhibiting  them  in  the  light  best  fitted  to 
recommend  them  to  the  reason,  conscience,  and  affections  " 
of  their  fellow-men.  But  they  desired  to  hold  them  with 
entire  freedom,  feeling  that  such  doctrinal  freedom  was 
"  most  consonant  with  a  religious  confidence  in  the  power 
of  simple  truth,  and  most  in  accordance  with  the  broad 
principle  and  catholic  spirit "  of  their  Presbyterian  fore- 
fathers. The  required  assurance  was  given  "  that  the  con- 
stitution of  the  congregation  was  free  from  restrictive 
conditions,"  and  in  harmony  with  their  expressed  wish.^ 
Their  ministry  began  on  the  20th  of  February  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.  It  was  understood  that,  in  consideration  of 
their  other  engagements,  only  slight  demands  should  be 


^  "The  Christian  Reformer,"  iS6o,  p.  113  sq. 

366 


1859]     LITTLE  PORTLAND  ST.  MINISTRY 

made  upon  them  for  pastoral  duties  in  addition  to  the 
pubhc  services.  How  httle  tliey  spared  themselves  will 
appear  from  the  following  account,  by  Mr.  Martineau/  of 
the  general  character  of  his  ministry :  — 

"  Bringing  to  it,  in  both  instances,  Lancashire  habits  and 
ideas,  we  did  not  feel  satisfied  till  the  Little  Portland  Street 
congregation,  besides  assembling  for  stated  worship,  had 
looked  with  a  Christian  eye  upon  its  neighbourhood  and  made 
itself  the  centre  of  improved  culture  and  kindly  offices  to  the 
poorer  population  around.  Through  the  generous  response 
which  was  quickly  made  to  our  appeal,  the  small  Sunday 
school  v/hich  had  already  been  formed  under  Mr.  Tayler's 
impulse  expanded  into  the  noble  set  of  Day  and  Sunday 
Schools  now  known  as  among  the  best  in  London.  In  these 
schools  Mr.  Tayler  never  ceased  to  feel  the  most  lively  prac- 
tical interest.  But  before  two  years  had  elapsed,  he  found 
the  public  services  of  the  Chapel,  though  reduced  to  one  in 
the  day,  too  great  a  strain  upon  his  strength,  after  the  week's 
labours  in  his  lecture-room.  For  a  little  while  he  yielded  to 
my  earnest  entreaty  and  postponed  his  purpose  of  retirement; 
but  soon  left  the  congregation  to  my  sole  charge.  If  this  was 
a  promotion,  it  was  to  me  a  sad  and  anxious  one.  Not  only 
had  I  leaned,  with  affectionate  confidence,  on  the  support  and 
co-operation  of  my  senior,  and  taken  whatever  tasks  he  wished 
to  leave  me,  but  had  found,  in  his  preaching,  at  once  intel- 
lectual and  saintly,  a  refreshment  and  delight  never  to  be  re- 
peated; and  no  change  could  be  more  grievous  to  me  than 
the  prospect  of  hearing  thenceforth  no  voice  but  my  own. 

"  Nothing,  however,  remained  for  me,  in  this  relation,  but 
to  work  out,  as  far  as  possible,  the  aim  which  had  always 
guided  me,  of  separating,  and  yet  combining,  the  prophetic 
and  the  teaching  functions  of  the  Christian  ministry.  The 
hours  set  apart  for  public  worship  should  be  absolutely  sur- 
rendered, as  it  seems  to  me,  to  devout  thought  and  utterance, 
and  the  consecration  of  human  life  by  Divine  affections ;  and 
as  a  rule  I  could  never,  without  feeling  myself  guilty  of  an 
abuse,  treat  the  pulpit  as  a  lecturer's  platform,  for  didactic 
exposition,  critical  discussion,  or  philosophical  speculation. 
Whoever  occupies  that  place  stands  there  as  the  organ  of  the 
common  Christian  feeling;  to  this  he  must  freely  lend  his 
individuality,  becoming  only  as  the  first  voice  in  the  chorus 

1  Bi.  Mem. 


PROFESSORSPIIP    IN    LONDON     [1859 

of  consentient  trust  and  aspiration.  Yet  he  has  also  to  exer- 
cise a  g-ift  of  teaching.  He  administers  a  Religion  grounded 
in  the  Reason  and  Conscience,  developed  in  history,  summed 
uj)  in  doctrines,  embodied  in  churches,  applied  in  life;  and  in 
all  tliese  relations  it  must  be  enabled  to  know  and  to  amend 
itself.  To  conduct  this  studious  and  discriminative  process, 
he  needs  separate  hours,  a  totally  different  mood  and  method, 
and  an  audience  of  those  alone  who  are  open  to  systematic 
reading  and  reflection  on  questions  of  morals  and  theology. 
All  this  part  of  my  work  I  habitually  withdrew  from  the 
pulpit  and  threw  into  courses  of  weekly  lectures.  Twice,  in- 
deed, —  once  in  Liverpool  and  once  in  London,  —  I  broke 
through  this  rule;  and,  having  reached  in  each  case  a  stage 
of  theological  opinion  considerably  removed  from  my  start- 
ing point,  felt  it  my  duty  to  define  anew  the  component  lines 
and  forms  of  religious  truth,  and  set  them  clear  of  encum- 
bering appendages.  But  in  thus  attempting  '  Liberare  ani- 
mam  meam,'  I  limited  the  sermon,  as  far  as  possible,  to  the 
positive  elements  of  spiritual  faith,  and  reserved  for  the  lec- 
ture-room the  apparatus  and  process  of  proof  and  refutation. 
In  this  way,  there  passed  under  review,  in  the  last  ten  years 
of  my  ministry,  —  the  theory  and  essence  of  Religion,  the 
Hellenic,  Hebrew,  and  Medieval  varieties,  the  basis  and  system 
of  Morals,  the  conditions  and  evidence  of  Revelation  from  the 
Divine  to  the  Human  mind,  the  growth  of  the  Messianic  doc- 
trine, the  origin  of  the  New  Testament  literature,  the  mter- 
pretation  of  the  chief  Pauline  Epistles,  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  of  the  Book  of  Revelation,  of  the  Synoptical  Gospels 
as  recording  the  life  of  Christ,  and  the  source,  age,  and  sig- 
nificance of  the  Johannine  doctrine  of  his  person.  My  own 
volumes  of  notes  make  me  only  too  well  aware  how  imper- 
fectly these  subjects  were  treated:  but,  at  any  rate,  one  who 
wished  to  pursue  them  was  furnished  with  sufficient  guidance 
to  work  out  his  own  way  wherever  I  had  left  him  in  the  dark." 

This  year  witnessed  the  publication  of  two  philosophical 
essays ;  one  on  Hansel's  "  Limits  of  Religious  Thought," 
in  the  January  number,  and  one  on  J.  S.  Mill's  "  Disser- 
tations and  Discussions,"  in  the  October  number  of  the 
"  National  Review."  ^     The  April  number  contained  a  no- 

^  Both  reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological,"  and  in  Essays, 
III. 

3.68 


X859]    "THE    UNITARIAN    POSITION" 

tice  of  Schleiermacher's  "  Life  and  Times."  ^  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau  avoids  entering  into  a  critical  estimate  of  the  great 
theologian's  views,  and  devotes  far  the  larger  part  of  the 
article  to  a  delightful  sketch  of  his  life,  interspersed  with 
extracts  from  his  correspondence.  He  does  not  fail,  how- 
ever, to  indicate  his  mental  characteristics  in  a  few  sug- 
gestive words :  "  The  greatness  of  Schleiermacher  as  a 
theologian  arises  less  from  any  specific  force  of  genius 
than  from  the  compass  and  balance  of  his  mind.  His  in- 
tellectual appetite  was  omnivorous.  ...  It  is  less,  how- 
ever, the  completeness  of  his  intellectual  accomplishment 
than  the  interfusion  through  it  all  of  a  paramount  reli- 
gious feeling,  that  determined  the  form  of  his  theology, 
by  giving  it  an  inner  centre,  whence  it  worked  creatively 
outwards  in  all  directions  and  compelled  the  whole  matter 
of  thought  and  knowledge  to  feel  the  pulsations  of  a  com- 
mon heart."  "  He  was  far  above  the  stupid  impiety  of  in- 
tellectual fear  on  God's  behalf."  "  Few,  we  believe,  will 
now  deny  that,  in  claiming  an  independent  ground  of  re- 
ligion, in  delivering  it  from  its  contingent  existence  as  a 
derivative  inference  of  science,  or  a  necessary  sanction  of 
morals,  or  a  critical  conclusion  from  testimony,  Schleier- 
macher lifted  it  into  a  higher  region,  and  restored  to  it  its 
own."  At  the  same  time  he  points  out  that  his  "  appeal 
to  the  mystic  sense  of  Divine  Immanence  in  the  world  in- 
curred some  danger  of  melting  away  the  personality  of 
both  God  and  man." 

In  "The  Christian  Reformer"  for  December,  1858,  ap- 
peared a  letter  to  the  editor,  entitled  "  An  Attempt  to 
Define  the  Unitarian  Position."  This  able  and  clearly 
written  letter  had  the  signature  S.  F.  M.,  letters  which 
stood  for  the  Rev.  S.  F.  Macdonald,  the  Unitarian  min- 
ister at  Chester.    The  writer  dealt  first  with  a  view  which 


1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  I. 

24  369 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1859 

he  said  certainly  obtained  in  many  quarters,  "viz.,  that  it 
is  of  the  essence  of  the  Unitarian  Church  to  have  no 
clearly-defined  opinions."  This  seemed  to  him  "  a  most 
singular  notion,"  and  he  expressed  his  astonishment  that 
"  our  leading  minds  "  should  entertain  it.  "  Our  leading 
minds,"  no  doubt,  meant  pre-eminently  Mr.  Martineau, 
though  the  question  how  so  many  men  otherwise  intelli- 
gent came  to  regard  him  as  a  man  of  vague  and  nebulous 
intellect,  incapable  of  forming  and  expressing  definite 
convictions,  would  furnish  a  curious  problem  in  mental 
pathology.  The  letter  was  afterwards  printed  separately, 
and  circulated  by  its  author;  and,  among  others,  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau,  who  was  spending  the  summer  at  Castletown  of 
Braemar,  received  a  copy.  In  acknowledging  it  on  August 
6,  he  wrote  Mr.  Macdonald  a  long  letter  on  "  The  Uni- 
tarian Position,"  which  was  afterwards  printed  in  "  The 
Inquirer"  of  Aug.  27,  1859,  and  again  in  "The  Chris- 
tian Reformer "  of  the  following  October.  The  letter  is 
perfectly  lucid,  and  its  meaning  was  readily  apprehended 
by  Mr.  Macdonald.  But  it  was  widely  misunderstood; 
for  theological  suspicion  seems  generally  to  carry  about 
with  it  a  certain  amount  of  "  invincible  ignorance."  Mr. 
Martineau,  therefore,  deemed  it  necessary  to  reply  to  his 
critics,  which  he  did  in  a  more  elaborate  letter,  dated 
October  14,  and  entitled  "Church-life?  or  Sect-life?"^ 
These  two  letters  explain  with  perfect  clearness  his  views 
as  to  the  relation  which  theology  bears  to  the  life  of  a 
Church,  and  should  be  carefully  studied  by  those  who 
really  desire  to  understand  his  position.  That  position  is 
stated,  in  the  opening  of  the  second  letter,  in  a  series  of 
concise  propositions,  which  are  then  carefully  explained 
and  defended.  No  better  summary  can  be  presented  here 
than  these  propositions :  — 


^  Both  letters  are  reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 


1859]    -THE    UNITARIAN    POSITION" 

I.     i.  Though    for    individual    believers    definite   theological 
conviction  is  important  to  the  spiritual  life ;    and 
ii.  For  simultaneous  fellow-worshippers  a  corresponding 
theological  sympathy  is  indispensable; 

II.     i.  Yet  it  is  wrong  for  permanent  Churches  to  fix  their 
standard  of  belief,  and  commit  their  religious   life 
to  the  hazards  of  a  specific  type  of  doctrine;    and 
ii.  We,  in  particular,  cannot  do  so  without 

1.  Re-adopting  that  notion  of  "orthodoxy"  (as  en- 
tering into  the  relation  between  God  and  man) 
which  we  profess  to  reject; 

2.  Compelling  our  Church-sympathies  and  our  nat- 
ural reverence  often  to  run  across  each  other ; 

3.  Breaking  with  the  Past  from  which  we  spring; 
and 

4.  Compromising  the  Future  which   we  prepare, 

III.     Hence  we  should  beware  of 

i.  Accepting  any  doctrinal  organisation,  however  useful 
its  functions  in  other  respects,  as  representative 
organ  of  our  group  of  congregations ;  and  of 
ii.  Distinguishing  ourselves  ecclesiastically  from  The' 
General  Christian  Church  by  any  name,  unless^ 
expressing 

1.  Either  our  historical   origin, 

2.  Or  our  refusal  to  limit  God's  grace  in  Christ  by' 
dogmatic  conditions. 

The  proposition  III.  i,  refers  to  the  British  and  Foreign 
Unitarian  Association,  which  at  that  time  admitted  con- 
gregations, as  distinct  from  individuals,  to  its  member- 
ship, and  thereby  appeared  to  set  up  a  claim  to  be  their 
representative  organ.  As  we  have  seen,  Mr.  Martineau 
had  formerly  entertained  no  objection  to  such  a  constitu- 
tion; but  his  views  had  been  changed,  or,  as  he  himself 
says,  his  eyes  had  been  opened,  by  the  Lady  Hewley  case, 
which  brought  out  into  clear  light  the  history  and  essential 
basis  of  the  old  English  Presbyterian  Churches.  On  this 
ground  he  had  felt  himself  compelled,  the  previous  March, 
to  decline  an  invitation  to  preside  at  the  Annual  Meeting 
of  the  Association.     His  objection  to  dogmatic  restrictions 

371 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1859 

in  the  Trust  Deeds  of  Chapels  or  Societies  extended  to 
the  use  of  a  doctrinal  name;  and,  while  he  freely  accepted 
the  term  "  Unitarian  "  as  descriptive  of  a  certain  type  of 
theology,  and  as  applicable  to  individuals  who  held  that 
theology,  he  believed  that  it  was  improperly  applied  to  a 
Church  in  which  there  had  been,  and  might  still  be,  a  pro- 
gressive change  of  theological  conviction.  He  says :  "  The 
habitual  use  of  a  doctrinal  designation  applied  to  a  wor- 
shipping society,  or  to  any  group  of  such  societies,  its 
employment  in  public  documents  (such  as  petitions  to 
Parliament)  proceeding  from  the  body,  cannot  fail,  even 
in  the  absence  of  limiting  conditions  in  the  Trust  Deeds, 
to  fix  a  certain  stereotyped  character  upon  the  body,  and 
to  mask  any  wider  latitude  which  its  legal  constitution 
may  really  possess.  This  alone  is  enough  to  check  the 
spontaneous  course  of  gradual  change,  to  which  surely 
the  conservatism  of  reverential  prepossession  presents  suf- 
ficient natural  resistance."  If  there  was  to  be  any  com- 
mon name,  it  should  be  "  flexible  and  expansive " ;  but, 
he  says,  "  not  being  anxious  to  form  a  sect,  but  only,  till 
better  days,  to  keep  open  and  unexclusive  some  little  corner 
in  the  Church  meant  to  be  Universal,  I  am  quite  content 
with  a  stock  of  provisional  and  accidental  names.  The 
mere  fact  that  we  inherit  no  other  expresses  the  very 
genius  of  the  large-hearted  and  self-renouncing  Chris- 
tianity from  which  we  spring."  The  world,  with  its  idea 
of  a  saving  orthodoxy,  would  perhaps  describe  them  as 
"  Unitarian  "  or  "  Socinian  "  ;  but,  he  says,  "  it  belongs 
to  our  ecclesiastical  protest  against  the  M'hole  notion  of 
orthodoxy  to  accept  neither;  to  insist  on  deposing  the 
differences  of  creed  from  their  monstrous  usurpation;  to 
draw  forth  into  just  prominence  the  spiritual  and  moral 
conditions  in  which  alone  our  relation  to  God  is  realised ; 
and  in  the  name  of  Christ  to  proclaim  a  Church  of  good- 
ness, love,   and  heavenly-mindedness."     One  or  two   fur- 

372 


1859]         VACATION    AT    BRAEMAR 

ther  passages  may  be  quoted  which,  in  combination  with 
others,  may  help  to  correct  some  curious  misapprehen- 
sions. While  he  speaks  of  a  spiritual  necessity  urging 
every  earnest  and  thoughtful  man  to  definite  convictions, 
he  says :  "  Without  presuming  to  deny  that  an  opposite 
order  is  possible,  viz.,  logical  thinking  first  and  a  suitable 
kindling  of  affection  afterwards,  I  believe  the  general  fact 
to  be  that  Feeling  goes  before  Idea  .  .  .  and  the  season  of 
deepest  faith  and  worship  is  prior  to  the  analysis  of  no- 
tions and  determination  of  creed."  On  another  subject 
he  makes  an  earnest  protest :  "  If  there  is  one  modern 
tendency  more  than  another  against  which  I  have  striven 
through  life,  with  the  united  earnestness  of  natural  in- 
stinct and  deliberate  conviction,  it  is  the  extreme  Indi- 
vidualism which  turns  our  foremost  politics,  philosophy, 
religion  into  a  humiliating  caricature."  The  function  of 
a  Church  is  thus  defined :  "  Christianity  is  a  divine  dis- 
pensation for  bringing  men  into  conscious  union  with  the 
Holiest  of  all,  with  the  Father  through  the  Son ;  a  Church 
is  an  institution  embodying  and  applying  the  distinctively 
Christian  requisites  to  this  end,  —  the  dying  away  to  sin 
and  self,  and  the  rising  into  strength,  goodness,  and  love 
by  filial  surrender  to  the  Perfect  Will." 

Before  quitting  this  year  we  may  steal  a  look  at  him  in 
his  mountain  home  in  Braemar  during  the  long  vacation. 
He  writes  to  Mr.  Tayler :  — 

July  27,  1859. 

"  I  shall  hope  soon  to  hear  from  you  that  your  English 
retreat  is  not  less  delightful  and  renovating  to  you  all  than 
we  find  our  nest  in  the  Grampians.  The  change  is  indeed 
unspeakably  great  from  the  mighty  wilderness  of  stifling 
streets  to  the  cool  and  breezy  upland,  silent  but  for  the  tumble 
of  the  torrent  in  its  bed,  and  the  sweep  of  the  wind  through 
the  birch  and  pine  forest  on  the  mountain-sides.  The  country 
here,  compared  with  our  Lake  district,  is  built,  as  it  were, 
on  a  great  scale,  —  the  valleys  wide,  the  hill-sides,  —  which 
are  covered  below,  bare  above,  —  vast  and  solemn;  —  and  the 

373 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [i860 

loftier  hci£]flits,  as  in  all  granitic  regions,  rather  massive  and 
rounded  than  running  up  into  peaks,  like  the  Langdale  and 
Sea  Fell  Pikes.  As  our  village  is  more  than  iioo  feet  above 
the  sea,  we  are  almost  mountaineers  to  begin  with,  and  snow 
still  visible  from  within  a  few  paces  of  our  house-door  gives 
tolerable  assurance  of  our  exemption  from  the  heats  else- 
where so  oppressive.  The  only  want  I  ever  feel  is  of  just 
a  studious  and  sympathising  friend,  like  yourself,  to  stimulate 
me  by  exchange  of  thoughts  on  the  topics  with  which  books 
and  meditation  charge  me." 

The  following  year  had  disappointment  and  trial  in 
store.  He  received  an  invitation  to  visit  the  United  States 
of  America,  and  on  the  22d  of  June,  i860,  he  wrote  to 
his  friend  Mr.  Alger :  — 

10  Gordon  Street,  W.  C. 

My  dear  Mr.  Alger,  —  Audacious  as  it  seems  to  me,  it  is 
yet  true  that  I  have  ventured  to  accept  the  great  invitation.  I 
have  barely  time  by  this  mail  to  thank  you  for  your  letter,  so 
hearty  in  its  offer  of  welcome,  yet  so  generously  leaving  me 
free.  I  cannot  yet  form  plans  definitely.  But  I  incline  to  sail, 
about  the  second  week  in  August,  for  Quebec  direct ;  and  after 
taking  the  Canada  line  to  Niagara,  to  work  my  way  to  Boston 
for  a  moderate  sojourn,  prior  to  the  Convention  at  New  York, 
which  will  close  the  scene.  As  I  shall  not  be  without  obliga- 
tions of  work,  1  have  declined  the  friendly  invitations  given 
me  to  be  the  guests  at  private  homes,  and  have  made  up  my 
mind  to  take  a  quiet  lodging  in  or  near  Boston.  This  will 
enable  me  to  devote  the  morning  hours  to  solitary  study,  and 
free  my  conscience  for  social  enjoyment  of  friendly  converse 
during  the  latter  part  of  each  day. 

Especially  will  this  arrangement  be  indispensable  should 
there  arise,  as  you  suggest,  any  call  on  me  to  lecture  whilst 
I  am  among  you.  But  I  lay  all  these  matters  before  you  very 
much  with  a  view  to  help  and  correction  from  your  better 
knowledge  of  the  local  fitness  of  things. 

Ever  faithfully  and  cordially  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

His  hopes,  however,  were  not  destined  to  be  fulfilled. 
As  early  as  the  summer  of  the  previous  year  his  colleague, 

374 


1850]  CHANGE    OF    PLAN 

Air.  Tayler,  was  beginning  to  feel  that  his  duties  at  Little 
Portland  Street  put  too  great  a  strain  upon  his  strength; 
and  Mr.  Martineau  suggested  that,  in  order  to  relieve  the 
tension,  the  evening  service  should  be  given  up,  since, 
owing  to  the  distance  of  the  Chapel  from  the  residences 
of  the  congregation,  it  appeared  to  him  to  meet  no  real 
want.  In  i860  Mr.  Tayler  had  a  serious  illness,  and  Mr. 
Martineau,  always  considerate,  felt  that  it  would  not  be 
right  to  desert  him  even  for  a  short  period  after  the  open- 
ing of  the  College  session.  A  letter  to  Mr.  Alger  recounts 
his  change  of  plan :  — 

AUCHRANNIE,   InVERCLOY,   ArRAN,   SCOTLAND,  Aug.  I,  1860. 

My  DEAR  Mr.  Alger: 
vulgo, 

There  's  many  a  slip 
'Twixt  the  cup  and  the  lip  I 

and  my  promised  draught  is  dashed  from  my  hand  for  this 
season  at  least.  I  have  been  obliged  to  write  to  Mr.  Hale, 
and  at  the  last  moment  before  securing  my  passage,  retract 
my  acceptance  of  the  invitation  so  generously  given.  My 
colleague  and  dear  friend,  Mr.  Tayler,  who  has  so  eagerly 
forwarded  the  project  of  my  visit,  has  not  made  such  rapid 
progress  towards  recovery  as  would  justify  me  in  leaving  him 
to  conduct  our  College  single-handed  through  the  first  weeks 
of  a  new  session ;  and  both  his  physician  and  the  officers  of 
the  College  have  withdrawn  the  encouragement  which  at  first 
they  gave  me  to  accept  the  Convention  invitation.  In  the  face 
of  this  change,  which  quite  corresponds  with  my  own  mis- 
givings, no  course  is  open  to  me  but  to  remain  at  my  post, 
and  send  my  heartfelt  thanks,  my  deep  regrets,  and  my  prayer 
for  kind  construction  on  a  seeming  unfaithfulness,  to  my 
honoured  friends  in  New  England.  Most  of  all  my  acknow- 
ledgments are  due  to  you  for  the  considerate  arrangements 
contemplated  by  you  for  my  visit.  I  take  pleasure  in  fancying 
that  perhaps  they  may  be  only  postponed,  and  that,  with  longer 
foresight  of  them,  I  may  make  worthier  use  of  them.  This 
year  I  might  perhaps  have  been  able  to  answer  the  demands, 
if  made,  of  the  Lowell  Institute,  and  give  a  few  lectures  on 
Ethical  Theories.     But  all  my  materials  being  Academic,  not 

375 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [i860 

popular,  in  their  form,  as  well  as  systematic  in  their  conti- 
nuity, I  could  hardly  have  availed  myself  of  your  su^g^estion 
as  to  detached  lectures  in  different  cities.  I  admire,  but  can- 
not emulate,  the  happy  facility  with  which,  in  your  more  eager 
social  life,  you  can  throw  off  an  address,  at  once  instructive 
and  fascinating-,  like  that  of  which  you  send  me  an  epitome. 
Were  I  to  try  such  a  thing,  the  result  would  be  humiliating: 
after  reading  for  a  year,  and  meditating  for  a  month,  I  should 
produce  a  lucubration  which  would  empty  any  lecture-room 
in  ten  minutes.  We  want  more  of  your  broad  popular  life 
to  cure  our  morbid  fastidiousness. 

Dr.  Putnam's  and  Dr.  Walker's  appreciation  touches  me 
deeply ;  and  with  or  without  result,  confers  on  me  the  honour 
I  most  prize,  —  the  esteem  of  men  wiser  and  better  than 
myself.  Should  their  design  take  effect,  I  should  like  my 
acknowledgment  to  be,  the  publication  in  your  Country, 
perhaps  during  or  after  a  personal  visit  thither,  of  something 
sufficiently  systematic  and  considerable  in  scope  to  justify 
their  recognition  of  me.  So  at  least  I  dream  at  this  moment, 
when  I  stand  in  need  of  a  little  hope  to  console  my  immediate 
disappointment. 

Believe  me  always,  dear  Mr.  Alger, 

Very  faithfully  yours, 

James   Martineau. 

On  the  3d  of  August  Mr.  Tayler  wrote  to  him,  saying 
that  he  hoped  to  be  quite  well  again  in  a  month  or  six 
weeks,  but  that  he  had  finally  made  up  his  mind  to  relin- 
quish the  habitual  exercise  of  the  Ministry;  and  at  the 
same  time  urging  his  friend  to  go  to  America  with  "  mind 
free  and  unembarrassed,"  and  come  back  in  October 
*'  richly  laden  with  health,  strength,  spirits,  and  noble 
reputation,  to  serve  the  cause  of  truth  and  freedom  with 
new  power  and  wider  success  "  in  his  own  country.^  In 
a  subsequent  letter  Mr.  Tayler  announced  his  intention  of 
removing  from  Woburn  Square  to  some  more  rural  resi- 
dence; and  not  long  afterwards  he  took  a  house  in 
Hampstead,  which  at  that  time  was  almost  surrounded 
by  beautiful  country  which  has  since  been  covered  with 

*  Letters,  II.  p.  156  j^^. 

Z7^ 


X860]     DEPRESSION    IN    PREACHING 

houses.  A  letter  of  September  3,  relating  to  these  events, 
reveals  some  of  the  depths  of  Mr.  Martineau's  character; 
and  no  one  will  now  be  hurt  if  it  shows  how  sensitive  he 
was  to  any  apparent  want  of  spiritual  response,  and  that 
he  could  not  always  see  when  souls  were  penetrated  by  his 
words,  and  hearts  were  too  deeply  touched  to  allow  them- 
selves any  open  expression. 

AUCHRANNIE,  InVERCLOY,   IsLE   OF   ArRAN. 

My  dear  Friend, — Your  letter  is  so  rich  in  important  sug- 
gestions,  that  it  has  furnished  constant  matter  for  reflection  in 
my  rambles  ever  since,  and  often  in  wakeful  hours  of  the  night. 
All  my  work  with  you  and  under  your  guidance  has  been  so 
delightful,  your  hopeful  and  gentle  spirit  has  so  corrected  the 
eagerness  and  the  despondencies  of  my  more  passionate  nature, 
and  for  the  last  year  and  a  half  I  have  so  deeply  felt  the  privi- 
lege of  yielding  myself  to  your  influence  every  other  Sunday, 
that  you  will  not  wonder  if  the  crisis  which  makes  the  first  en- 
croachment on  our  partnership  fills  me  with  sad  and  serious 
thoughts.  It  is,  however,  manifestly  necessary,  after  the 
recent  warning,  for  you  to  reduce  the  strain  upon  your 
strength,  and  by  quiet  revision  of  habits  and  engagements 
retain  an  unanxious  mastery  over  the  chief  field  of  labour. 
Little  Portland  Street  must  evidently  be  the  first  thing  to 
give  way :  and  I  cannot  but  admit,  in  the  midst  of  my  regrets, 
the  wisdom  of  your  decision  on  this  point.  The  prospect  which 
it  opens  to  me  is,  in  any  case,  too  forlorn  to  be  looked  dis- 
tinctly in  the  face  at  present.  I  have  lost  none  of  my  interest 
in  preaching;  and,  with  any  fair  prospect  of  sufficient  gen- 
uine spiritual  sympathy  to  sustain  one's  heart  of  faith  and 
hope,  I  would  willingly  go  on  while  I  have  strength.  But, 
in  spite  of  its  respectable  numbers,  intelligence,  and  character, 
there  is  something  in  our  congregation,  —  in  the  form  of  ser- 
vice, in  the  usages  and  management,  in  the  whole  aspect  of 
the  people  and  the  place,  —  which  singularly  depresses  and 
quenches  me,  and  makes  me  feel  that  I  am  working  against 
the  universal  stream.  To  some  extent.  I  know,  every  preacher, 
endeavouring  to  reach  convictions  and  seats  of  consciousness 
that  lie  deep  below  the  common  surface  of  our  life,  must  feel 
this  —  in  Liverpool  I  was  not  free  from  it  —  but  yet  I  never 
could  entertain  there  the  doubt  that  oppresses  me  in  London, 
whether  there  is  any  response  whatever  to  what  comes  from 

377 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [i85o 

the  true  springs  of  all  preaching.  However,  I  do  not  mean 
to  prejudge  this  question,  much  less  to  decide  it  on  the  im- 
pulse of  perhaps  too  ideal  a  feeling.  When  I  see  what  is 
asked  of  me,  the  duty  will  doubtless  clear  itself  before  me. 

I  have  been  pondering  much,  and  from  every  side,  your 
amended  program  of  academic  work.  So  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, there  is  not  the  slightest  obstacle  to  the  adoption  of 
every  part  of  it.  I  shall  most  gladly  arrange  to  concentrate  my 
lectures  on  the  alternate  days,  and  to  attend  prayers  not  only 
on  those  days,  but  habitually.  For,  if  you  carry  out  your  design 
as  to  residence,  there  is  surely  no  reason  why  you  should  en- 
danger its  advantage  and  refreshment  by  so  overstrained  an 
arrangement  for  the  morning  hours.  To  leave  your  house  at 
half-past  seven,  you  must  breakfast  a  quarter  before  seven,  and 
rise  not  later  than  six ;  and,  however  feasible  this  may  look  in 
summer,  and  may  actually  be  to  a  household  full  of  young 
vigour,  I  can  hardly  think  it  practicable  without  hazard  in 
your  case  through  all  the  dark  and  cold  days  of  the  year. 
Why  not  take  your  lectures  from  lo  or  even  ii  o'clock 
onwards,  leaving  the  previous  responsibilities  to  me?  This 
would  secure  you  daylight  and  reasonable  hours,  without 
dangerous  tension,  throughout  the  year.  A  misgiving  also 
troubles  me  respecting  your  night  at  University  Hall  once 
a  week.  I  know  by  experience  what  that  is ;  and  I  fear  you 
would  find  it  very  desolate  and  depressing,  and  inconsistent 
with  proper  rest  and  sleep.  A  room  exceptionally  inhabited 
is  never  cheerful  or  even  wholesome ;  the  Hall  at  best  cannot 
fail  to  present  a  strong  contrast  with  your  noiseless  country 
seclusion ;  and  after  the  labours  and  excitement  of  a  working 
day,  you  need,  instead  of  a  sentence  of  solitary  confinement, 
the  quiet  letting  down  which  can  only  be  had  from  the  dear 
domestic  presence  and  the  familiar  home.  Nor  perhaps  would 
you  find  the  students'  evening  quite  the  same  thing  in  the 
Council-room  that  it  has  been  in  Woburn  Square.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  shake  off  the  influences  of  place;  and  in  that  large, 
cold,  formal  hall  I  cannot  fancy  the  same  free,  disengaged, 
opening  out  of  converse  which  your  own  tea-table  would 
encourage.  Did  I  not  think  that  you  would  prefer  having 
the  students  to  yourself,  and  that  I  should  rather  be  in  the 
way  if  I  were  present,  I  should  urge  you  to  come  to  my 
house,  and  hold  the  evening  there.  I  have  been  considering 
with  my  wife  how  I  could  see  more  of  the  young  men  in 
quiet  personal  intercourse,  for  I  am  not  at  all  satisfied  with 
my  present  imperfect  relations  with  them;    and  for  any  hint 

378 


1850]  ESSAYS 

or  help  towards  this  end  I  should  be  truly  grateful.  If,  on 
your  removal  from  town,  a  transference  of  your  evening  with 
them  from  Woburn  Square  to  Gordon  Street  would  answer 
at  once  the  old  purpose  and  the  new,  I  should  be  only  too 
happy. 

...  I  must  not  say  anything  of  the  unspeakable  loss  in- 
curred by  your  disappearance  from  our  London  social  circles ; 
serious  as  the  sacrifice  is  of  one  of  their  choicest  personal  in- 
fluences, it  must  be  cheerfully  made,  if  really  good  for  you 
upon  the  whole.  But  I  find  a  difficulty  in  fancying  you  witli- 
out  clear  scope  for  your  rich  and  various  nature,  and  espe- 
cially your  openness  to  sympathy  with  other  minds,  than  a 
remote  suburban  banishment  affords.  It  is  only  a  one-sided 
and  contracted  man  —  and  not  a  person  like  yourself  —  that 
can  live  always  on  books  and  home;  and  however  welcome 
the  tranquillity  of  such  a  life  after  long  tossing  on  the  surg- 
ing tide  of  London  excitement,  it  might  easily,  by  too  great 
constancy,  become  flat  and  depressing  to  a  susceptible  spirit." 

Mr.  Tayler  soon  afterwards  sent  in  his  resignation,  and 
preached  his  farewell  sermon  on  the  23d  of  December. 

Some  further  anxiety,  during  the  vacation,  was  caused 
By  the  illness  of  Mr.  Russell  Martineau,  largely  induced 
by  over-fatigue  in  Switzerland,  and  on  the  journey  home. 
A  few  weeks,  however,  sufficed  to  restore  his  strength 
and  enable  him  to  resume  his  work. 

The  literary  fruit  of  this  year's  labour  was  chiefly 
of  a  philosophical  character.  The  April  number  of  the 
*'  National  Review "  contained  an  article,  the  subject  of 
which  is  sufficiently  indicated  by  its  title,  "  Cerebral  Psy- 
chology :  Bain."  ^  In  October  a  profound  essay  on  *'  Na- 
ture and  God "  appeared  in  the  same  magazine.^  His 
address  at  the  opening  of  the  Session  at  Manchester  New 
College  in  October,  "  Factors  of  Spiritual  Growth  in 
Modern  Society,"  ^  is  mainly  a  criticism  of  Mr.  Buckle's 


1  Reprinted  in   "  Essays  Philosophical  and   Theological,"  and  as   "  Bain's 
Psychology,"  in  Essays,  III. 

2  Reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological,"  and  in  Essays,  III. 
2  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

379 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [iseo 

thesis  that  the  improvement  of  mankind  is  due  to  intel- 
lectual discovery,  and  an  attempt  to  prove  "  the  irrever- 
sible dependence  of  social  civilisation  on  moral  vitality." 
But  before  proceeding  to  this  subject  he  makes  touching 
allusion  to  the  losses  of  the  year,  and,  among  others,  re- 
fers to  the  death  of  Theodore  Parker.  "  How  can  we 
forget,"  he  asks,  "  that  sad  Florentine  grave  which  has 
quenched  the  light  of  so  much  nobleness?  Or  help  feeling 
that,  in  the  loss  of  Theodore  Parker,  the  nerve  of  natural 
piety,  the  arm  of  righteous  reform,  the  courage  of  every 
generous  hope,  are  enfeebled,  not  for  his  world  alone,  but 
for  ours  too  ?  " 

In  the  latter  part  of  i860,  and  for  about  two  years  sub- 
sequently, he  was  deeply  interested  in  the  preparation  of 
a  book  of  liturgical  services,  which  was  published,  with 
the  title  "  Common  Prayer  for  Christian  Worship,"  in 
1862.  This  work  was  undertaken  by  a  body  of  London 
ministers,  who  commissioned  one  of  their  members  "  to 
revise  the  Serv'ices  in  use  in  the  Church  of  England,  and 
to  make  additions  from  other  sources,  after  having  car- 
ried out  more  fully  a  course  of  reading,"  which  had  al- 
ways been  his  delight.  The  gentleman  referred  to,  but 
not  named,  in  these  words  from  the  Preface,  was  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Sadler,  the  minister  of  Rosslyn  Hill  Chapel,  Hamp- 
stead,  a  man  whose  shrinking  from  personal  obtrusiveness 
sometimes  prevented  an  adequate  appreciation  of  his  great 
attainments,  but  whose  saintly  character  engaged  the  love 
of  all  who  knew  him,  and  whose  simple  presence  was  a 
Christian  benediction.  Dr.  Martineau's  feelings  towards 
him  are  expressed  in  a  letter  to  Mrs.  Sadler,  written  on 
Sept.  18,  1 89 1,  after  the  sudden  death  of  her  husband 
from  disease  of  the  heart :  — 

"  However  natural  it  may  be  to  deplore  being  deprived  of 
the  last  living  look  and  the  last  '  Farewell,'  reflection  may 
warrant  the  belief  that  no  departure  can  be  gentler  than  one 

380 


I860]    CRITICISM    OF    PRAYER    BOOK 

in  which  the  summons  executes  itself.  For  your  dear  saintly- 
husband  no  notice,  no  discipline  was  needed.  All  was  in 
order.     He  had  but  to  go. 

"  The  infrequency  of  my  intercourse  with  Dr.  Sadler  dur- 
ing the  years  of  my  residence  in  London  would  seem,  to  an 
ordinary  observer,  hardly  an  adequate  base  for  the  deep  affec- 
tion which  I  felt  for  him.  I  loved  his  public  services.  I  was 
in  sympathy  with  him  in  his  judgments  on  our  ecclesiastical 
aft'airs.  In  the  relations  between  us  arising  out  of  the  '  Com- 
mon Prayer  for  Christian  Worship,'  I  found  occasion  only  for 
grateful  appreciation  of  his  exactitude  in  management,  and 
perfect  accord  with  all  his  proposals.  There  remains  to  me, 
among  surviving  ministerial  friends,  no  one  like-minded  with 
him,  excepting  only  my  older  companion  in  love  and  labour, 
Mr.  Thom.  His  work  is  crowned.  His  memory  is  blest.  And 
he  has  left  you  no  sorrows  but  those  of  patient  hope  and  as- 
piration. I  know  of  no  other  record  in  our  churches  such  as 
his." 

Such  was  the  man  with  whom  a  frequent  correspond- 
ence was  to  be  maintained  on  the  subject  of  the  prayer- 
book.  Mr.  Martineau's  general  views,  founded  on  a 
criticism  of  the  Church  of  England  Liturgy,  are  pre- 
sented in  the  first  extant  letter,  Nov.  26,  i860:  — 

"  During  the  last  two  days  I  have  carefully  studied  the 
Liturgical  Services  so  laboriously  and  skilfully  prepared  by 
you  and  revised  by  the  Sub-committee  appointed  in  the  sum- 
mer. While  the  impression  of  them  is  fresh,  I  will  try  to 
define  it,  and  put  it  to  the  test  of  written  statement. 

"  The  more  I  think  of  it,  the  more  do  I  regret  the  original 
instructions  which  confined  you  to  the  Church  of  England 
type  of  service.  Within  these  limits  the  work  appears  to  me 
to  have  been  done  in  nearly  the  best  possible  way ;  all  that 
nice  judgment,  true  feeling,  and  a  taste  tinctured  and  enriched 
by  familiarity  with  the  best  expressions  of  ecclesiastical  devo- 
tion, covild  effect  in  adapting  this  form  to  our  wants,  has  been 
accomplished ;  and  those  who  invited  you  to  this  difficult  and 
delicate  undertaking  cannot  but  feel  grateful  to  you  for  the 
admirable  execution  of  it.  The  few  particular  expressions 
which  awaken  some  scruple  in  me  —  and  to  which  I  will 
presently  refer  —  admit  of  easy  alteration  such  as  you  would 

381 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [iseo 

probablv  deem  admissible.  But  my  chief  difficulties  lie  deeper, 
and  po  beyond  the  execution,  to  the  very  problem  itself.  I 
believe  it  impossible  for  us  ever,  sincerely  and  zuithont  arti- 
ficial strain,  to  naturalise  the  Prayer  Book  model  of  Worship. 
It  is  the  product  of  a  theory  of  Religion  radically  different 
from  ours;  and,  in  the  process  of  transference  to  us,  it  loses 
its  own  meaning  without  becoming  the  natural  vehicle  of  ours. 
Admirers  of  the  Church  Service  are  apt  to  look  only  at  its 
several  component  parts,  taken  one  by  one,  —  especially  the 
Collects ;  and  if  this  were  all  we  had  to  judge  about,  I  should 
largely  share  their  feeling.  But  when  from  the  materials  we 
turn  to  the  construction  and  conception  of  the  ivhole,  it  is 
astonishing  to  me  that  we  do  not  at  once  feel  ourselves  in  a 
region  which  is  foreign  to  our  own,  and  whose  forms  do  no 
justice  to  the  breadth  and  brightness  of  our  own  faith. 

"  The  basis  and  regulative  idea  of  the  Church  Service  are 
supplied  from  a  Sacerdotal  religion.  There  is  an  Altar;  there 
is  a  Priest.  The  worship  —  like  the  offerings  at  the  Jewish 
Temple  —  is  a  sacrifice,  presented  as  a  required  condition  of 
the  Divine  placability  towards  us,  and  in  compHance  with  the 
terms  of  a  promise ;  and  the  '  opus  operatum  '  is  gone  through 
with  the  understanding  that  if  we  do  our  part,  —  in  the  way 
of  humiliation  of  ourselves  and  exaltation  of  God,  —  we  may 
sufficiently  '  please  him,'  for  him  to  listen  to  our  prayers  and 
perform  his  part.  Accordingly,  the  Service  opens  with  Depre- 
cation and  Penitence,  —  as  if  the  first  thing  was  to  make  sure 
of  sinking  yourself  low  enough ;  and  not  till  the  Priest  has, 
in  virtue  of  this,  pronounced  his  Absolution,  can  God  be  asked 
to  '  open  our  lips,'  that  we  may  '  shew  forth  His  praise.'  This 
work  (the  Praising  of  God)  forms  the  second  section  of  the 
Service,  —  by  far  the  finest,  had  it  only  more  the  character 
of  human  outpouring  than  of  deliberate  laudation  according 
to  a  system  and  for  an  end.  Then  finally  —  the  two  condi- 
tions having  been  complied  with,  viz.  the  worshipper  suffi- 
ciently humbled,  the  object  of  worship  sufficiently  exalted  — 
the  series  of  petitions  is  presented  with  hope  of  a  favourable 
hearing.  I  think  it  is  impossible  to  deny  that  this  is  the  pro- 
gram on  which  the  Service  is  constructed.  If  so,  it  is  the 
expression  of  a  devotion  fundamentally  different  from  ours. 

"  For,  both  by  origin  and  by  conviction,  the  whole  genius 
of  our  Christianity  is  of  the  Protestant  and  Puritan  type; 
whose  worship  is  not  a  '  Service '  or  '  bounden  duty '  ren- 
dered to  God,  but  a  free  outpouring  of  affection  towards  Him 
in  contemplation  of  our  relations  towards  Him.     Hence,  the 

3_82 


I860]    CRITICISM    OF    PRAYER    BOOK 

Order  of  worship  has  always  been  with  us,  through  all  the 
ages  of  our  Non-Conformist  existence,  the  natural  human 
order  in  which  the  pious  affections  follow  one  another  as  they 
kindle  and  deepen  in  the  course  of  meditation  and  prayer.  By 
this  rule  the  Penitential  part  of  devotion  lies  far  o)i  in  the  in- 
terior recesses  of  worship ;  the  profound  sense  of  sinful  im- 
perfection is  not  ready  on  the  surface  of  even  the  humblest 
mind ;  and  it  is  not  till  the  spirit  has  felt  its  way  through  the 
mists  and  dimness  in  which  Prayer  begins,  and  emerged  into 
the  clear  presence  of  the  Infinite  Holiness,  that  the  abasing 
consciousness  of  spiritual  poverty  is  awakened,  and  the  sad 
interval  is  seen  between  what  we  are  and  what  we  ought  to 
be.  All  the  old  Non-Conformist  divines  —  all  the  usages 
handed  down  to  us,  recognise  this  natural  order.  In  Henry's 
'  Method  of  Prayer,'  and  every  similar  book,  it  is  assumed 
that  Worship  must  make  its  first  steps  with  tentative  rever- 
ence and  awe,  —  with  a  certain  solemn  caution,  like  a  trust- 
ful advance  into  the  dark,  pausing  to  realise  the  foot-fall  of 
every  thought;  and  it  is  only  when  the  threshold  has  been 
left  far  behind,  and  a  freer  movement  of  the  soul  among 
Divine  things  has  been  gained,  that  the  outpourings  of  re- 
pentance are  permitted  to  have  way.  So  with  the  arrange- 
ment of  Psalms  and  Hymns.  Who  would  not  be  offended 
with  the  incongruity  if,  on  opening  a  hymn-book,  he  found 
all  the  Penitential  Hymns  at  the  beginning  to  be  sung  at  the 
outset  of  Public  Worship?  Such  an  arrangement  is  utterly 
uncongenial  with  our  habitudes  of  feeling,  and  has  proper 
place  only  where  Absolution  is  the  hinge  of  the  whole  wor- 
ship, and  humiliation  leads  up  to  it,  as  Praise  (now  author- 
ised) succeeds  to  it.  I  cannot  but  fear  that,  in  consequence 
of  this  misplacement,  a  very  superficial  feeHng  follows  our 
liturgical  confessions ;  that  the  words  have  little  real  mean- 
ing for  those  who  utter  them ;  and  that  precisely  the  minds 
of  deepest  sincerity  and  most  susceptible  piety  are  the  least 
at  home  in  them.  How  can  it  indeed  be  expected  that  a  whole 
congregation  should  in  an  instant  fling  itself  into  an  attitude 
of  mind,  of  which  the  language  of  the  prodigal  son,  in  the 
very  crisis  of  his  agony,  should  be  the  appropriate  expres- 
sion? .  ,  .  Surely  we  none  of  us  believe,  and  Christ  did  not 
mean  to  teach,  that  human  persons  in  general,  and  his  dis- 
ciples everywhere  and  always,  are  in  the  case  of  the  prodigal 
son.  Ought  we  not,  then,  to  reserve  such  intensities  of  lan- 
guage for  really  analogous  cases?  Do  we  not  else  imitate  the 
orthodox,  who  support  their  theory  of  human  corruption  from 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [isco 

the  passionate  utterances  of  David's  compunction  on  awaking 
fnun  his  sin?  In  like  manner,  why  should  every  one  of  the 
vitrodiictory  texts  in  the  first  and  second  service  be  depreca- 
tory and  confessional,  with  no  sentence  of  reverence,  of  trust, 
of  joy  ?  The  reason  is  obvious  in  the  Church  Service ;  and 
the  moment  you  escape  into  free  composition  (in  the  third 
and  following  services),  your  selection  breaks  this  narrow 
boundary ;  but  this  only  shows  that  we  want  a  scope  which  the 
chosen  model  does  not  allow.  Grant  the  Church-idea  of  the 
Service,  and  its  principle  of  selection  is  right ;  throw  open 
the  range  of  choice,  and  the  preservation  of  the  Church  order 
(opening  with  general  confession)  is  wrong.  Again,  what 
possible  meaning  has  the  Absolution  in  the  revised  form?  It 
merely  repeats  —  without  even  a  shade  of  variety  —  the  truth 
which  is  the  burden  of  the  address  just  given,  and  exhorts 
the  people  to  pray  for  the  repentance  which  they  have  just 
been  uttering.  In  taking  out  what  we  cannot  retain  in  it,  we 
remove  the  very  pith  and  essence  of  it,  and  leave  it,  as  it 
seems  to  me,  an  empty  husk.  The  Church  of  England  has 
already  weakened  it  in  this  direction,  and  half  disguised  the 
absolving  act ;  but  our  further  reformation  dissipates  its  sig- 
nificance altogether.  This  is  only  an  instance  of  the  difficulty 
of  touching  the  structure  without  impairing  its  idea.  Admi- 
rably formed  for  the  consistent  expression  of  a  low  conception 
of  Christianity,  it  loses  its  physiognomy  and  life  when  its 
harshnesses  are  painted  over;  yet  by  no  varnishing  can  be 
turned  into  a  speaking  likeness  of  the  more  trustful,  disin- 
terested, aspiring  and  expanded  features  of  modern  piety.  Of 
communion  between  the  Divine  and  Human  Spirit  there  is  no 
trace.  It  is  the  worm  in  the  dust  before  the  Almighty;  the 
rebel  availing  himself  of  opportunities  of  supplication  and 
mediation ;  the  sinner  wishing  to  be  reconciled,  for  the  sake 
of  his  Salvation,  and  perpetually  reminding  God  of  His 
'  promises  '  in  that  direction.  This  taint  of  servile  interest, 
at  times  deepening  almost  into  abjectness,  is  beyond  the  reach 
of  any  verbal  revision. 

"  I  believe,  therefore,  that  we  make  a  fundamental  mistake 
in  deserting  the  old  line  of  Nonconformist  piety,  first  opened 
to  us  by  the  sincere  movements  of  free  prayer,  and  in  revert- 
ing to  an  essentially  sacerdotal  type,  quite  alien  to  our  genius. 
To  a  liturgical  form  in  itself  you  know  I  have  no  objection; 
and  all  mv  natural  leanings  are  in  the  direction  of  Conform- 
ity and  Unity,  where  simplicity  and  veracity  allow.  But  we 
have  a  characteristic  testimony  to  bear,  and  have  no  right 

384 


i86x]    PREPARES    TWO    NEW    SERVICES 

to  weaken  it  by  making  our  worship  less  than  the  whole  and 
absolute  utterance  of  it." 

In  deference  to  the  views  thus  expressed,  and  in  order 
to  "  reach  more  efifectually  some  chords  of  modern  feel- 
ing," some  of  the  forms  were  intrusted  to  Mr.  Martineau 
for  reconstruction.  The  result  was  the  preparation  of  two 
new  services,  —  the  Ninth  and  Tenth  in  the  volume.  The 
manuscript  of  this  was  completed  and  forwarded  to  Dr. 
Sadler  for  his  approval  on  the  31st  of  July,  1861.  Some 
extracts  from  a  letter  of  that  date  will  explain  "  the  pe- 
culiarities "  of  his  "  attempt  "  :  — 

"  I.  My  first  intention,  as  you  will  perhaps  remember,  was 
simply  to  recast  the  materials  of  two  of  your  services.  I  soon 
found,  however,  that  in  doing  so  I  should  spoil  what  was  ad- 
mirable in  one  type  without  effectually  realising  the  required 
example  of  another.  To  pilfer  more  than  tzvo  of  your  ser- 
vices would  have  been  to  commit  an  uncompensated  havoc ; 
and  still  without  covering  the  whole  ground  of  the  want  I 
seem  to  feel.  I  have  ended  with,  I  fear,  the  too  bold  attempt 
to  frame  the  services  anew,  without  tampering  at  all  with 
what  you  have  so  excellently  done.  There  are  now  two  dif- 
ferent ideas  separately  carried  out ;  both  true  to  my  own  feel- 
ing in  certain  aspects ;  each  supplementing  the  other ;  and 
neither,  by  itself,  capable  of  meeting  the  whole  case  of  our 
ecclesiastical  wants. 

"  2.  The  most  startling  appearance  of  innovation  is  per- 
haps in  the  Canticles.  I  meant  at  first  to  have  inserted  certain 
of  the  Psalms.  But  the  most  suitable  were  already  bespoken 
in  your  services.  And  no  mere  process  of  excision  of  verses 
seemed  to  reduce  the  materials  into  a  satisfactory  form ;  it  de- 
stroyed one  poetical  unity  without  producing  another.  What 
is  sung  before  and  after  the  Lessons  ought,  I  think,  to  be  not 
mere  general  hymns  of  Praise,  but  to  have  distinct  reference 
to  the  order  and  progress  of  Divine  Revelation  in  human 
history  and  life.  The  Hebrew  and  Christian  Scriptures  are 
rich  in  materials  giving  embodiment  to  the  fundamental  con- 
ceptions required ;  but  these  are  not  available  without  a  re- 
production which  discharges  the  elements  no  longer  real  to 
us.  For  this  free  use  of  Scripture  elements  there  is  good 
authority  in  the  usage  of  the  early  Christian  Church  (whose 
25  385 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [isei 

hvmns  were  often  a  cento  of  Biblical  verses),  in  that  of  the 
English  Church  in  the  Canticle  alternative  with  the  Te  Deum, 
and  in  some  of  your  own  Services.  I  have  certainly  carried 
the  method  further  than  is  conformable  with  our  stereotyped 
practice  in  modern  times;  further,  indeed,  than  I  originally 
contemplated.  But,  apart  from  mere  habit,  there  seems  to  be 
no  reason  why  the  prose  hymns  which  we  chant  should  not 
shape  themselves  with  the  same  free  evolution  out  of  the 
spirit  and  materials  of  Scripture  as  the  rhyme  hymns  which 
we  sing.  Having  ventured  on  this  experiment,  I  have  re- 
peated from  your  services  only  the  Te  Dciirn.  As  I  have  not 
your  MS.  of  the  first  Service,  I  do  not  know  how  far  our 
versions  of  the  Te  Deum  agree.  We  should  bring  them  to 
harmony,  however,  if  both  Services  are  published." 

The  objections  which  he  felt  to  some  established  Chris- 
tian phrases  are  perhaps  nowhere  so  fully  and  clearly  ex- 
pressed as  in  a  letter  of  August  21  :  — 

"  Aly  scruple  about  the  terms  '  Mediator,'  '  Redeemer,'  and 
'  Saviour,'  applied  to  Christ,  has  always  lingered  and  hung 
about  my  mind  from  boyhood,  though  I  am  ashamed  to  say 
I  have  never  till  now  had  the  courage  and  simplicity  to  look 
it  fairly  in  the  face.  And  now  that  I  dp  so,  and  try  the  hearts 
of  others  on  the  matter,  I  find  that  they  too  suffer  from  the 
same  feeling  of  misleading  profession  and  infirm  sincerity 
in  the  use  of  these  words  which  has  secretly  troubled  me  all 
my  life.  Pure-minded  young  persons  in  particular,  who  crave 
a  real  and  living  thought  for  every  expression  of  faith,  and 
are  less  affected  than  we  by  venerable  usage,  have  repeatedly 
asked  me  for  a  meaning  to  these  w^ords ;  about  which  I  could 
never  effectually  satisfy  them.  Naturally,  I  have  resorted  to 
just  the  interpretations  which  you  suggest,  and  which,  I  fully 
admit,  provide  an  intelligible  meaning  for  the  phrases  and  in- 
volve no  false  doctrine.  It  is,  however,  indubitably  an  in- 
vented meaning,  devised  in  order  to  save  the  phrases,  —  and 
not  by  any  means  the  sense  they  hear  either  in  Scripture 
whence  they  come,  or  in  the  Church  which  has  fixed  their 
permanent  significance.  '  Mediator,'  c.  g.,  means,  as  you 
observe,  '  instrument  for  bringing  ns  to  God.'  But  by  this 
you  and  I  intend  no  more  than  that  we  owe  to  Christ  our 
right  apprehension  of  God;  our  suhjeetive  state  in  regard  to 
spiritual  things  would  have  been  quite  other  than  it  is  but 
for  the  light  of  his  image  in  our  hearts.     And  this  subjective 

386 


i86i]         OBJECTIONABLE   PHRASES 

right  relation  to  God  is  not,  in  our  case,  one  which  has  been 
superinduced  upon  a  prior  alienation,  so  as  to  constitute  a 
change  out  of  darkness  into  light.  We  were  born  into  it,  and 
have  all  along  been  zvith  God  in  Christ,  and  have  at  no  date 
been  '  brought  to  him  '  by  Christ ;  unless  the  'we'  is  spoken 
of  the  human  race  historically,  and  not  meant  to  be  personally 
appropriated  by  the  individual  worshippers.  Now  I  cannot 
think  that  anyone,  wanting  simply  to  say  that  he  thinks  of 
God  as  Christ  shows  him  to  be,  would  ever  hit  upon  such  a 
phrase  as  that  Christ  was  his  '  Mediator.'  '  Mediator  '  implies 
an  objective  transaction,  removing  an  objective  alienation,  and 
establishing  an  indirect  reconciliation  between  those  who  pre- 
viously stood  in  no  direct  relations  but  of  hostility.  And  no- 
toriously this  is  the  sense  in  which  Christendom  universally 
preoccupies  the  word ;  those  who  use  it  in  every  church  but 
ours  feel  themselves,  in  their  own  persons,  born  into  aliena- 
tion from  God ;  and  then,  in  baptism  or  in  conversion,  trans- 
ferred from  the  curse  of  nature  to  the  grace  of  God,  being 
credited  with  the  substitutive  righteousness  of  Christ.  Sup- 
pose them  not  baptised,  not  converted,  not  invested  with  the 
protection  of  Christ's  work  and  intercession,  and  they  remain 
aliens  from  God,  and  without  hope.  In  this  theory  the  '  Media- 
tion '  is  an  intelligible  reality ;  and  the  term,  appropriated  as 
as  it  is  to  this  theory,  involves  a  denial  of  direct  relations  be- 
tween the  soul  and  God,  and  an  assumption  of  natural  enmity 
averted  by  personal  interposition  of  Christ,  to  which  there  is 
nothing  in  our  individual  history  corresponding,  as  there  is 
in  that  of  every  orthodox  person. 

"  Very  much  the  same  considerations  weigh  with  me  with 
regard  to  the  other  terms.  *  Redeemer,'  '  Saviour '  are  words 
implying  in  the  *  redeemed '  and  *  saved  '  a  transference  from 
a  prior  lost  or  enslaved  to  a  subsequent  rescued  condition. 
To  most  Unitarian  Christians  no  such  transference  takes  place 
through  their  discipleship ;  whatever  power  their  faith  gives 
them  over  the  lower  inclinations  is  an  habitual  power,  pres- 
ent in  the  earliest  formation  of  their  character ;  and  you  can- 
not be  *  redeemed  '  or  *  saved  '  from  a  state  in  which  you  never 
tvere  but  only  zvoidd  have  been  under  certain  imaginable  con- 
ditions. At  least  on  the  same  principle  I  might  call  David  my 
*  Saviour '  in  consideration  of  the  deep  spiritual  obligations 
under  which  the  Psalms  have  laid  me.  Moreover,  the  words 
'  Redeemer,'  '  Saviour '  are  words  of  Objective  Agency,  im- 
plying something  more  than  the  presence  of  an  Image  or  Idea 
to  the  believing  and  contemplating  mind;    and  to  apply  them 

387 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [isei 

to  Christ  merely  because  the  thought  of  him  helps  our  self- 
dedication,  appears  to  me  to  take  the  very  life-blood  of  the 
pliraseology  away.  And  finally,  the  words  are  relative;  and 
that  from  ichich  there  is  '  redemption,'  '  salvation  '  is  always 
implied  in  the  meaning;  and  this,  too,  both  in  Scripture  and 
Church  usage,  is  essentially,  and  must  always  be  understood 
to  be,  objective  privation  and  misery,  the  curse  of  nature  or 
the  penalty  of  guilt,  —  and  not  the  inner  moral  and  spiritual 
feebleness,  to  which  your  interpretation  refers.  That  we  are 
doomed  to  perdition  by  nature,  snatched  into  deliverance  by 
grace,  and  that  only  by  having  an  interest  in  the  righteous- 
ness which  Christ  zvrought  for  us;  —  this  is  the  false  system 
of  relations  which  the  terms  in  question  accurately  express 
and  firmly  grasp ;  and  to  suborn  the  same  phraseology  to  be- 
tray its  old  contents  and  become  the  instrument  of  an  oppo- 
site faith  appears  to  me,  I  must  confess,  indefensible  on  the 
score  either  of  wisdom  or  of  simplicity.  Spoiled  language 
one  may  always  step  in  and  restore  to  its  original  rights. 
And  if  by  substituting  the  Scripture  meaning  of  these  terms 
for  the  ecclesiastical  one  we  could  reach  the  thought  we  desire 
to  express,  I  should  be  quite  in  favour  of  retaining  the  words. 
But  though  we  thus  get  out  of  the  orthodox  doctrine,  we  do 
not,  I  fear,  get  into  our  ozvn,  or  even  much  nearer  to  it.  Res- 
toration being  impossible,  I  see  nothing  for  it  but  rejection. 

"  With  regard  to  such  phrases  as  '  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ'  (even  taking  it  in  the  sense  of  'as  disciples,'  etc.)  I 
find  it  difiicult  to  see  why  we  should  be  anxious  to  declare 
in  zi'hat  particular  capacity  we  pray.  Surely  in  a  Christian 
congregation  the  thing  speaks  for  itself;  and  this  formula 
would  never  have  got  stereotyped  as  the  close  of  prayer  but 
for  the  notion  of  pleading  in  an  efficacious  name  or  capacity.^ 
So  of  the  other  meaning  which  you  assign,  and  which  with 
you  I  have  assigned,  to  the  remaining  phrases,  —  they  seem 
to  me  irrelevant  to  the  prayer  when  you  get  at  them  (and  this 
the  proper  orthodox  meanings  are  not),  and  too  far-fetched 
to  occur  in  the  face  of  the  obvious,  even  obtrusive,  signifi- 
cance of  the  original  writer.  We  are  in  danger,  therefore,  of 
spoiling  the  theology  of  others,  while  winning  only  an  en- 
cumbrance for  our  own.     True,  one  parts  with  the  dear  old 


^  In  a  subsequent  letter  he  says  :  "I  learn  from  Stanley  that  the  Eastern 
Church  has  never  resorted  to  the  form  of  Prayer  '  through  Jesus  Christ.'  It  is 
a  Western  peculiarity."  Instead  of  this  form,  if  I  mistake  not,  a  doxology  is 
used. —J.  D. 

388 


1863]      REMARKS  ON  THE  TE   DEUM 

forms,  consecrated  by  so  many  pious  lips,  with  affectionate 
regret.  But  rather  with  their  meanings  —  their  Hving  soul  — 
than  with  themselves;  for  I  never  care  to  save  the  verbal 
shell  when  the  pulse  that  throbbed  in  it  has  gone.  The  iden- 
tity perishes  with  the  idea;  and  the  word,  if  compelled  to 
survive  the  thought,  becomes  a  semblance  only  or  a  monu- 
ment. In  short,  the  same  phraseology  cannot  do  service,  it 
seems  to  me,  in  opposite  systems  and  be  made,  in  any  natural 
way,  the  vehicle  of  contradictory  beliefs.  Very  slight,  scarcely 
perceptible,  alterations  suffice,  for  the  most  part,  to  meet  this 
scruple,  which  custom  has  hitherto  prevented  from  being  ob- 
trusive; but  which  is  likely,  if  I  am  not  much  mistaken,  to 
come  into  active  force  in  the  next  generation." 

His  remarks  upon  the  Te  Deum  are  sufficiently  strik- 
ing for  quotation.  Apparently  some  scrupulous  Unitarian 
objected  to  the  clauses,  which,  as  revised,  are  presented  in 
this  form :  "  The  holy  Church  throughout  all  the  world 
doth  acknowledge  thee,  the  Father  of  an  infinite  Majesty; 
thy  beloved,  true,  and  glorified  Son;  thy  Holy  Spirit, 
also  the  Comforter."  On  Nov.  5,  1863,  Mr.  Martineau 
writes :  — 

"  I   agree  unreservedly   with    Mr.   's    objection   to   all 

adapted  use,  in  new  or  mitigated  senses,  of  orthodox  lan- 
guage ;  and  was  inclined,  as  you  will  remember,  to  restrain 
within  narrower  limits  than  your  first  feeling  would  have  re- 
quired, the  ambiguous  employment  of  even  Scripture  phrase- 
ology. But  the  passage  in  the  Te  Deum  to  which  exception 
is  taken  is  absolutely  free,  in  its  original  form,  as  standing  in 
the  Church  of  England  service,  of  all  tincture  of  Trinitarian 
doctrine;  and  our  alteration  is  made  on  other  than  dogmatic 
grounds.  The  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  does  not  consist  in 
owning  and  enumerating  three  objects  of  religious  faith,  — 
God,  the  Supreme  Father,  —  the  Son  of  God,  —  the  Spirit  of 
God ;  for  the  acknowledgment  of  these  three  is  the  essential 
characteristic  of  all  Christendom  in  all  ages ;  —  but  in  making 
these  three,  equal  persons  of  one  Godhead.  So  far  is  this  from 
being  done  in  the  passage  objected  to,  that  it  is  excluded  in 
the  most  direct  and  positive  manner;  the  Person  addressed 
being  not  left  doubtful,  —  so  that  you  might  suppose  it  was 
the  Trinity,  and  then  take  the  three  succeeding  terms  as  an 

389 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [isei 

unfoldinr^  of  the  contents,  —  but  being  sharply  specified  and 
hniiteil  by  the  appositional  phrase  '  the  Father,'  from  whom 
the  additional  objects  of  faith  are  separated  by  being  spoken 
of  in  the  third  person,  and  to  whom  they  are  referred  as 
secondary  belongings  by  the  epithet  'Thy.'  That  the  pro- 
noun '  Thee '  should  be  taken  as  a  comprehensive  term,  in- 
cluding (i)  its  own  equal,  'The  Father,'  (2)  'Thy  Son,' 
(3)  'Thy  Holy  Spirit,'  is  quite  impossible  unless  by  a  stran- 
ger to  the  English  language." 

In  his  own  subsequent  revision  of  1879,  however,  he 
changes  the  form  to  the  following :  "  The  Father,  hid  in 
infinite  Light;  shown  in  tlie  mind  of  thy  most  beloved 
Son;    felt  in  thy  Holy  Spirit,  the  comforter." 

The  manuscript  of  the  whole  work  passed  under  his 
eye  prior  to  publication,  and  he  made  many  careful  criti- 
cisms and  suggestions  with  a  view  to  its  improvement. 

In  the  early  part  of  1861  he  was  again  anticipating  a 
visit  to  America;  but  on  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War 
and  the  occurrence  of  uneasy  relations  between  the  two 
countries,  he  felt  that  the  time  was  inopportune.  His  feel- 
ings are  expressed  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Alger :  — 

10  Gordon  Street,  London,  W.  C,  June  27,  1861. 
My  dear  Mr.  Alger,  —  It  seems  a  strange  thing  to  say, 
but,  let  me  confess  it,  I  have  been  waiting  in  hope  that  your 
letter,  just  received,  would  pronounce  in  favour  of  my  re- 
maining at  home  this  year.  For,  to  say  the  truth,  I  have  an 
unconquerable  conviction  that  the  present  is  not  the  time  in 
which  I  ought  to  interpose  myself  among  you.  At  the  time 
when  I  last  wrote,  I  still  clung  to  the  hope  that  it  would  not 
really  come  to  civil  war;  and  had  I  foreseen  the  present 
posture  of  affairs,  I  should  have  felt  the  impropriety  of  tax- 
ing the  hospitality  of  my  friends  in  the  United  States  at  such 
a  crisis,  and  should  have  withdrawn  at  once,  as  I  now  do, 
my  contemplated  but,  as  it  proves,  unseasonable  arrangement 
for  visiting  them.  In  the  great  struggle  which  engages  you, 
you  ought  to  be,  and  doubtless  are,  absorbed  in  the  duties 
and  anxieties  of  the  hour.  No  other  topic  should  have  any 
interest  for  your  Convention ;  —  I  would  not  give  a  fig  for 
your  national  spirit  if  it  had.    Yet  on  this  topic  no  one  but  an 

390 


I86I]      DECLINES   TO   VISIT  AMERICA 

American  has  any  right  to  speak  to  you,  and  the  words  of  a 
foreigner  would  be  a  profane  impertinence.  I  therefore  write 
to  you  at  once,  and  shall  write  to  Mr.  Hinckley  as  soon  as  his 
letter  arrives,  to  express  my  deep  personal  regret  that  again 
we  are  prevented  from  taking  counsel  together  on  our  common 
affairs,  human  and  divine;  but  to  acknowledge  the  clear  ne- 
cessity of  cancelling  for  the  present  the  engagement  with 
which,  in  happier  circumstances,  I  was  honoured. 

Since  I  last  wrote,  the  course  adopted  by  Great  Britain  has 
evidently  awakened  —  quite  gratuitously,  as  we  all  of  us,  to 
a  man,  think  here  —  a  very  painful  feeling  in  your  Northern 
States.  The  intensity  of  this  feeling  is  attended  by  the  con- 
current evidence  of  all  persons  returning  from  the  States  and 
all  the  publications  that  reach  us.  I  know  perfectly  well  that 
this  would  not  in  the  least  affect  the  personal  kindness  to 
myself  of  my  Boston  brethren  and  friends.  But  in  travelling 
through  the  country  it  would  either  restrict  or  render  un- 
pleasant the  casual  intercourses  without  which  one's  bodily 
presence  in  a  new  world  is  unprofitable.  My  friend  Dr. 
Radford,  who  was  to  be  my  travelling  companion,  a  most 
experienced  and  accomplished  wanderer  over  the  world,  has 
taken  advice  from  Professor  Rogers  (Pennsylvania)  and 
many  other  American  friends,  and  shrinks  from  the  journey 

at  this  crisis.     Mr.  advises  me  in  the  same  sense ;    and 

all  my  English  counsellors,  including  my  wife,  are  so  urgent 
in  the  same  direction,  that  I  could  not  get  away  without  being 
denounced  as  a  rebel  against  all  legitimate  authority.  So,  my 
dear  friend,  I  must  renounce  the  present  hope,  and  trust  that 
life  may  yet  grant  us  a  better  future.  The  more  "  serene  and 
enduring  "  are  the  interests  on  which  I  should  come  to  confer 
with  you,  the  better  will  they  wait,  and  the  more  would  they 
shrink  from  the  heat  and  pressure  of  this  great  and  agitating 
crisis. 

Thank  you  most  heartily  for  the  beautiful  photograph  of 
Dr.  Hedge,  the  clear  expression  of  a  noble  mind.     In  two 
days  I  go,  for  some  weeks  to  come,  to  a  Scottish  home. 
With  warmest  regards. 

Ever  faithfully  yours, 

James  Martineau. 

He  also  declined  an  invitation  to  lecture  at  a  later  time 
in  Edinburgh,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  his  engagements. 
On  the  29th  of  April  he  presided  over  the  Annual  Meet- 

391 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [isei 

ing  of  the  London  Domestic  Mission.  In  his  address  from 
the  chair,  having  alluded  to  the  sins  and  miseries  of  the 
great  city,  he  spoke  of  the  special  function  of  the  Do- 
mestic Mission  in  resisting  these  evils.  It  "rested  upon  the 
faith  that  in  our  humanity  there  were  principles  and  powers 
that  were  for  ever  raising  up  a  strenuous  resistance  to  the 
pressure  of  temptation  and  the  source  of  degradation; 
that  God  does  not  leave  his  spiritual  offspring  without  his 
aid ;  that  even  in  the  darkest  recesses  of  misery  there  was 
still  open  a  way  for  his  spirit,  which  could  find  a  passage 
through  all  the  bars  of  the  dungeon,  like  the  starlight  into 
the  deepest  alleys  of  our  cities;  that  there  was  no  place 
where  the  spirit  of  God  could  not  go,  and  no  human  heart 
which  had  not  a  susceptibility  for  recognising  it."  He 
then  referred  to  the  foundation  of  the  Mission,  and  to 
the  fact,  already  recorded,  that  he  had  himself  been  pressed 
to  accept  the  office  of  minister  to  the  poor  in  London.  He 
had,  he  said,  "  weighed  the  proposal  most  seriously  and 
long.  It  appeared  to  him  to  be  the  noblest  work  which 
could  be  offered  to  any  human  being  to  undertake.  And 
if  he  knew  himself,  the  reason  why  he  declined  it  was, 
not  any  motive  of  ambition,  not  any  inner,  sincere,  cor- 
dial preference  for  another  course  of  life,  but  a  conscious- 
ness of  inner  defect  for  a  work  that  required  such  a 
peculiar  combination  of  powers,  the  consciousness,  espe- 
cially, of  what  he  would  call  '  religious  reticence ' ;  the 
difficulty  of  bringing  out  the  inner  convictions  and  inner 
affections  before  the  face  of  mankind.  It  appeared  to  him 
that  a  combination  of  gifts  was  requisite  for  the  success- 
ful performance  of  this  office,  which  he  knew  himself  too 
well  to  persuade  himself  that  he  could  possess.  .  .  .  He 
could  not  help  thinking  that  considerations  of  the  kind 
to  which  he  now  referred  were  fairly  capable  of  being 
presented  in  answer  to  the  taunt  that  we  send  forth  mis- 
sionaries to  do  the  work  which  we  ought  to  do  ourselves. 

392 


1861]        VACATION   AT  GAIRLOCH 

Undoubtedly  there  was  some  truth  in  this  reproach;  at 
the  same  time  there  was  also  some  extravagance.  Fre- 
quently we  did  these  things  by  deputy,  not  because  we 
were  indifferent  to  them,  but  because  we  prize  them  so 
highly,  reverence  them  so  deeply,  that  we  mistrust  our 
power  to  do  them  ourselves,  and  we  accordingly  look  out 
for  men  who  have  the  special  aptitudes  and  gifts  for  ac- 
complishing a  work  which  ordinary  people,  with  defec- 
tive tact,  with  defective  judgment,  with  defective  speech, 
with  inward  reserve,  were  unable  to  do  efficiently  for 
themselves."  ^ 

The  summer  was  spent  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Gair- 
loch,  in  Ross-shire.  A  description  of  his  surroundings  is 
given  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Tayler :  — 

August  23,  1861. 

My  dear  Friend,  —  I  heartily  congratulate  you  both  on 
your  satisfactory  settlement  at  Hampstead  and  at  your  early 
prospect  of  escape  from  it.  A  removal,  though  it  be  only 
from  town  to  suburb,  can  never  be  less  than  a  crisis  in  a 
studious  man's  life.  Now  that  the  disagreeable  part  of  the 
process  is  happily  over,  a  few  weeks  within  hearing  of  the 
sea  and  sight  of  the  blue  hills  will  bring  you  back,  I  trust, 
only  to  the  repose  and  hope  of  a  fresh  future.  We  have 
sometimes  been  half  tempted  to  say  that  you  prisoners  in 
town  have  for  once  the  advantage  over  us ;  so  extraordinary 
has  been  the  continuance  of  wet  and  the  frequency  of  violent 
storms  from  the  West.  Since  the  first  ten  or  twelve  days 
we  have  never  been  more  than  a  few  hours  without  rain,  — 
sometimes  driven  on  the  blast  like  a  sheet  of  water  almost 
horizontal  through  the  air,  and  sometimes  drizzling  for 
twenty-four  hours  together  in  a  dead  calm.  No  such  season 
is  remembered  here;  and  to  the  peasantry  of  the  country, 
miserably  poor  at  best,  the  prospect  is  serious,  for  the  crops 
will  in  great  measure,  I  fear,  perish  ungathered.  At  times, 
the  too  constant  confinement  to  indoor  occupation,  without  the 
variety  and  social  stimulus  of  life  in  town,  I  have  found  a 
little  depressing;  and,  for  want  of  my  usual  elasticity,  my 
vacation  work  has  not  prospered  as  I  hoped,  though  in  health 


1  From  the  report  in  the  "  Unitarian  Herald  "  for  May  4. 

393 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [isex 

I  seem  to  have  been  unusually  well.  Half  a  day's  sunshine, 
however,  or  even  cessation  of  the  sound  of  wind  and  wet, 
g-ives  one  a  new  spring  again;  and  if  September  sheds  a 
little  more  genial  light  on  the  world  without,  the  world  within 
will  soon  respond,  and  carry  back  a  full  store  of  hope  and 
refreshment  for  the  next  year.  The  weather  is  our  only  dis- 
appointment here.  The  country,  both  on  the  deeply  indented 
coast-line,  guarded  in  the  distance  by  the  bold  heights  of 
Skye  and  Lewis,  and  in  the  mountain  solitudes  of  the  in- 
terior, reached  through  forest  vallies  and  interspersed  with 
innumerable  lochs,  is  wonderfully  grand;  and  the  Flower- 
dale  Valley  in  this  immediate  neighbourhood  ...  is  rich  in 
the  features  of  a  softer  beauty.  Further  north,  about  the 
Lochs  Broom,  whither  I  took  my  wife  and  Basil  an  excur- 
sion, the  towering  masses  of  rock  and  mountain,  frowning 
right  down  upon  the  blue  or  black  inlets  of  sea  below,  and 
making  vast  forests  look  like  a  mere  belt  of  the  valley,  are  of 
marvellous  majesty  even  in  the  sunshine,  and  absolutely  awful 
under  the  shadow  of  the  clovids.  Our  house  here  is  separated 
only  by  the  garden's  length  from  the  sea, — a  rock-bound  minor 
inlet  of  the  loch.  It  has  no  road  to  it,  being  built  for  approach 
only  by  water ;  but  a  few  minutes'  walk  on  the  beach  brings  us 
to  the  several  roads,  and  the  only  other  decent  houses  (the 
Inn  and  the  Post  Office)  of  the  place.  As  usual,  in  Scotland, 
the  Free  Church  rears  its  ugly  head  within  sight  of  the  uglier 
Established  Church,  and  draws  into  it  the  whole  population, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Post-master,  the  shop-keeper,  and 
Lord  St.  John's  family  and  dependents.  It  seems  impossible 
that  such  a  state  of  things  can  continue;  the  parish  clergy- 
man himself,  a  liberal  man,  with  whom  and  whose  father-in- 
law,  Professor ,  we  have  become  very  friendly,  confesses 

that  his  Church  throughout  Scotland  has  lost  all  hold  of  the 
people,  and  must  either  fall  or  come  to  some  understanding 
with  its  successful  rival.  It  seems  to  me  a  deplorable  neces- 
sity; for  the  parochial  clergy,  long  in  contact  with  the  more 
educated  laity  and  insensibly  affected  by  the  more  catholic 
spirit  of  the  age,  are  the  only  leaven  that  at  all  soften  the 
harshness  of  the  Scottish  Calvinism.  Nothing  more  hideous 
in  form,  blind  in  intelligence,  and  hateful  in  spirit,  than  the 
Free  Church  religion,  as  administered  among  the  Gaelic  pop- 
ulation, is  to  be  found,  I  apprehend,  in  Europe,  short  of 
Naples  and  Sicily.  Buckle,  read  upon  the  spot,  scarcely 
seems  to  exaggerate.  The  peculiarity  of  the  popular  Protes- 
tantism here  is,  that  it  seems  to  have  done  nothing  towards 

394 


I86I]  WORK    IN    MINISTRY 

elevating  the  habits  and  temporal  well-being  of  the  peasantry. 
The  bog  on  the  mountain  side  is  dotted  over  here  and  there 
with  low  piles  of  loose  stones,  crowned  with  a  black  turf 
gable  or  arch,  through  which,  with  or  without  hole,  oozes 
a  cloud  of  turf  smoke,  sometimes,  by  way  of  unusual  refine- 
ment, opening  from  a  herring-barrel  as  chimney.  These  ken- 
nels, with  pools  of  animal  filth  lying  in  the  mud  which  forms 
the  floor,  and  trickling  out  of  the  doorway  and  turning  the 
whole  approach  into  a  fetid  sponge,  —  these  are  the  places 
where  the  people  live ;  and  such  are  the  prevalent  habits  of 
sloth  and  apathy,  too  generally  united  with  drunkenness,  that 
there  seems  no  pressure  towards  anything  better.  I  have 
never,  even  in  Ireland,  seen  anything  worse  than  the  "  bothies  " 
which  here  break  out  like  a  black  eruption  upon  the  moor 
and  bog.  And  I  do  not  believe  that  in  any  Protestant  coun- 
try a  parallel  is  to  be  found.  But  I  must  not  chatter  on  in 
this  way  about  things  around  me. 

The  house  was  not  altogether  suited  to  English  habits, 
and  is  humorously  described  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  William 
Smith  of  Edinburgh :  "  Our  accommodations  in  this  house 
are  not  superlative ;  but  we  shall  adapt  ourselves  very  well 
to  travellers'  necessities.  The  people  are  worthy  people, 
but  more  godly  than  cleanly;  and  it  will  take  a  good  deal 
of  soap  to  undo  the  too  constant  anointing  of  everything 
v^ith  the  oil  of  piety  and  neglect." 

His  literary  efforts  on  behalf  of  the  public  were  now  a 
good  deal  curtailed  by  the  pressing  duties  of  his  professor- 
ship and  his  ministry.  Though  it  was  understood  that  the 
congregation  was  not  to  expect  much  pastoral  supervision, 
he  could  not  be  content  with  half  measures.  He  adopted 
his  old  plan  of  giving  elaborate  courses  of  religious  in- 
struction, and  took  the  deepest  interest  in  the  establish- 
ment of  elementary  Day  and  Sunday  Schools,  which, 
under  his  wise  and  stimulating  guidance,  seconded  by 
many  devoted  workers,  reached  the  highest  degree  of  effi- 
ciency. For  many  years  he  himself  superintended  the 
Sunday  School  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  influence  of  his 
spirit  was  seen  in  the  earnestness  of  the  teachers  and  the 

395 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [isei 

order  and  good  conduct  of  the  classes.  With  a  view  to 
giving  the  religious  influences  of  the  place  a  still  wider 
range,  he  established  a  Sunday  evening  service,  which  was 
conducted  by  volunteers,  including  students  of  the  Col- 
lege, who  were  always  encouraged  to  take  their  share  in 
such  philanthropic  exercises. 

But  amid  his  multifarious  engagements  he  still  found 
time  to  enrich  the  "  National  Review  "  with  an  occasional 
article.  To  the  April  number,  1861,  he  contributed  an 
essay,  chiefly  expository,  on  "Plato,  his  Physics  and  Meta- 
physics." ^  In  the  following  October  he  had  a  kindly  no- 
tice of  "  Tracts  for  Priests  and  People,"  ^  which  were  issued 
by  F.  D.  Maurice  and  some  of  his  associates,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  excitement  produced  by  "  Essays  and  Re- 
views." After  noticing  the  way  in  which  "  Danger  to  the 
Church  "  seemed  at  once  "  to  awaken  every  dormant  eccle- 
siastical egotism,  to  widen  every  difference,  to  intensify 
all  dogmatism,  and  hoot  down  the  catholic  and  charitable 
temper,"  he  speaks  of  the  Tracts  as  forming  "  a  marked 
exception  "  to  the  prevalent  partizanship,  and  as  being  "  a 
serious,  manly,  and  large-hearted  exposition  of  Christian 
faith,  in  its  direct  relations  to  human  life."  He  com- 
plains, however,  that  there  is  an  absence  of  reasonable 
discussion,  and,  with  two  exceptions,  they  are  mere  per- 
sonal confessions  of  faith,  which  afford  not  the  slightest 
help  to  anyone  in  doubt.  His  own  view  of  the  Incarna- 
tion is  thus  stated:  "The  Incarnation  is  true,  not  of  Christ 
exclusively,  but  of  Man  universally,  and  God  everlastingly. 
He  bends  into  the  human,  to  dwell  there;  and  humanity 
is  the  susceptible  organ  of  the  divine.  And  the  spiritual 
light  in  us  which  forms  our  higher  life  is  *  of  one  sub- 
stance '  ( bfx.oov(nov )  with  his  own  Righteousness,  —  its 
manifestation,   with   unaltered   essence   and   authority,   on 

1  Reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological  "  (2d  series). 
^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 


1862]         SERMON   AT   HAMPSTEAD 

the  theatre  of  our  nature.  ...  Of  this  grand  and  uni- 
versal truth  Christ  became  the  revealer,  not  by  being  an 
exceptional  personage  (who  could  be  a  rule  for  nothing), 
but  by  being  a  signal  instance  of  it  so  intense  and  impres- 
sive as  to  set  fire  to  every  veil  that  would  longer  hide  it." 
He  finds  the  real  significance  of  the  publication  and  diffu- 
sion of  the  "Essays  and  Reviews"  in  this:  "  That  the  in- 
tellectual part  of  Anglican  Society  is  in  revolt  against  the 
received  form  of  Christianity,  and  snatching  at  the  hope 
of  something  truer  and  deeper.  .  .  .  To  the  ripest  mind 
and  character  of  this  age  the  creeds  speak  a  foreign  lan- 
guage and  reach  no  home  within.  .  .  .  The  whole  theory 
of  life  —  silently  felt  rather  than  deliberately  thought  — 
has  irrevocably  changed;  consecrating  this  world,  disen- 
chanting the  other  of  a  thousand  terrors;  softening  every 
curse,  deepening  every  trust;  blending  the  colours  of  na- 
ture and  of  grace;  and  finding  the  mysteries  of  eternity 
already  present  at  every  hour  of  time." 

In  1862  Dr.  Sadler,  of  Hampstead,  had  the  pleasure  of 
removing,  with  his  congregation,  to  a  new  and  beautiful 
chapel,  erected  on  a  plot  of  ground  adjoining  the  old  brick 
building  where  worship  had  hitherto  been  conducted.  He 
invited  Mr.  Martineau  to  preach  the  dedicatory  sermon. 
The  latter,  writing  on  the  ist  of  March,  declined.  He 
said :  "  After  viewing  the  matter  on  every  side,  I  have 
settled  into  a  clear  conviction  that  I  should  be  occupying 
a  place  in  which  no  one  ought  to  stand  on  that  day  but 
yourself,  —  and  least  of  all  one  whose  misfortune  it  is  to 
be  the  object  of  too  mixed  a  feeling  for  an  occasion  de- 
manding pure  and  perfect  sympathy."  However,  his 
scruples  were  overcome,  and  on  March  12  he  wrote:  "I 
surrender  conditionally.  If  you  won't  let  the  right  person 
preach,  you  may  depend  on  my  being  the  wrong  one.'* 
Few  that  listened  to  the  sermon  preached  on  Thursday, 
June  5,  can  have  thought  he  was  the  wrong  one.    Founded 

397 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [1862 

on  John  xvii.  20  and  21,  it  must  rank  among  his  deepest 
and  most  beautiful  utterances.^  The  keynote  of  the  dis- 
course is  struck  in  the  following  words :  "  The  union  of 
the  Divine  and  the  Human  in  Christ,  while  unique  in  its 
perfection,  is  no  lonely  prerogative  of  his  individual  per- 
son, but  belongs  to  him  as  the  ideal  and  representative  of 
humanity;  and,  were  it  not  a  possibility  and  law  for  all 
our  souls,  its  manifestation  in  him  would  be  a  barren 
wonder  without  significance.  ...  In  this  view,  then,  the 
blending  of  the  Divine  and  Human  in  Christ  reveals  a 
similar  blending  of  the  two  in  tlie  constitution  of  our 
humanity.  In  the  consciousness  of  this  consists  disciple- 
ship  to  him.  And  the  life  of  Communion  with  the  Divine 
Guide  abiding  in  us,  —  of  personal  affection  towards  him- 
self and  trust  in  the  leadings  of  his  thought ;  —  of  recogni- 
tion, eye  to  eye ;  —  of  surrender,  Will  to  Will,  —  this  first, 
this  last,  this  throughout  all,  is  the  characteristic  of  the 
Christian  mind."  In  opposition  to  Paganism,  which  is 
Nature-worship,  Christianity  is  Spirit-worship.  "  Once 
humble  and  genial  to  a  spirit  higher  than  our  own,  we 
shall  find  ourselves  in  an  invisible  commimion,  drawing 
us  with  sweet  and  mystic  ties  away  from  anger,  care,  and 
sorrow,  and  making  us  one  with  each  other,  with  Christ, 
with  God." 

At  this  time  his  own  congregation  was  intending  to 
build;  but  for  some  reason  the  plan  was  not  taken  up 
with  sufficient  enthusiasm,  and  was  never  carried  out. 

The  summer  was  again  spent  in  the  west  of  Scotland, 
at  Little  Loch  Broom,  near  Ullapool,  by  Dingwall ;  this 
time  in  a  more  eligible  house.  Some  extracts  from  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Tayler,  of  August  24,  will  bring  the  scene, 
and  the  life  amid  its  solitudes,  before  us :  — 

My  dear  Friend,  —  It  will  be  a  shameful  comment  on 
my  idleness  and  ingratitude  if  I  let  you  slip  away  to  Dresden 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV,,  with  the  title  "  Worship  in  the  Spirit." 


1862]         AT  LITTLE   LOCH   BROOM 

without  an  answer  to  your  delightful  letter,  received  three 
weeks  ago.  The  solitary  life  of  a  Scotch  glen  ought  to  stimu- 
late one's  eagerness  for  converse  with  distant  friends,  and, 
in  truth,  our  passionate  thirst  for  the  Post-days  shows  that  it 
does  so;  yet  somehow  the  monotonous  tenor  of  the  hours, 
while  favouring  continuous  study,  removes  the  natural  breaks 
at  which  the  more  vivacious  impulses  assert  themselves.  I 
am  not  sure  that  we  do  well  to  remove  ourselves  so  com- 
pletely from  the  human  world  in  the  vacation ;  and  some- 
times I  think  that  your  plan  is  perhaps  the  wiser,  in  providing 
some  admixture  of  congenial  society  with  adequate  reserved 
opportunities  of  retirement  and  study.  This  place  is  at  once 
the  most  sequestered,  and  the  grandest  in  its  natural  features, 
that  we  have  ever  found  for  our  summer  weeks,  —  a  deep  and 
wide  valley,  up  which  the  sea  winds  between  rocky  masses 
two  thousand  feet  high  for  some  seven  miles  (forming  the 
Little  Loch  Broom)  ;  and  which,  a  mile  or  two  higher  up, 
becomes  a  bright  grassy  bottom,  raised  as  a  terrace  above  a 
dashing  river,  and  belted  round  and  interspersed  with  finely 
grown  trees.  .  .  .  On  the  left  hand  the  plain  is  shut  in,  at  not 
a  furlong's  distance,  by  stupendous  steeps,  clothed  with  wood 
wherever  a  root  can  strike ;  on  the  right,  by  a  range  of  moun- 
tains about  the  height  of  Snowdon,  and  so  precipitous  and 
jagged  as  to  be  in  parts  quite  inaccessible.  The  contrast  is 
most  striking  between  these  solemn  and  almost  awful  heights, 
and  the  living  green  and  sparkling  waters  of  the  field  around 
us,  and  the  rich  foliage  of  its  stately  trees.  .  .  .  For  a  while, 
in  consequence  of  the  Laird's  imperfect  preparations  for  our 
reception,  we  had  a  pretty  sharp  "  struggle  for  existence."  For 
want  of  boats  to  meet  us  on  our  arrival,  we  were  put  out  of 
the  steamer  with  all  our  luggage  on  the  rocks,  four  or  five 
miles  from  our  destination,  where  we  had  to  wait  till  our  sig- 
nals brought  us  help.  The  house  had  neither  fuel  nor  stores ; 
the  two  servants,  finding  themselves  helpless,  ran  off  without 
five  minutes'  warning,  and  for  some  days  we  had  to  drag  in 
wood  from  the  plantations  and  cut  it  up  with  our  own  hands, 
and  forage  and  cook  and  clean-up  by  family  division  of 
labour.  By  degrees,  however,  resources  came  in ;  the  miss- 
ing coal  ship  arrived ;  better  servants  were  found ;  the  Post- 
man brought  us  our  weekly  bread,  and  the  shepherd  our 
half-sheep ;  and  now  we  live  like  Highland  lairds.  The  course 
of  our  life  is  even  and  quiet  enough,  varied  only  by  the 
frowning  or  the  tempting  skies ;  the  morning  spent  in  study, 
while  the  girls  are  at  their  sketching  or  their  books  or  house- 

399 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [isea 

hold  work :  the  evening  in  reading-  aloud :  while  a  walk  is  got 
in  at  some  time  between.  Now  and  then,  when  the  mountain- 
heads  show  clear  against  the  morning  sky,  I  yield  to  the  young 
folks'  entreaty,  pack  up  my  mountain  barometer,  and  start 
with  them  for  a  day's  climb  to  the  summit.  In  the  panorama 
from  a  Scottish  height  there  is  a  peculiarity  of  colouring  which 
to  my  eye  gives  it  a  charm  quite  unique;  a  purple  in  the 
shadows,  and  a  soft  aerial  gold  in  the  lights,  and  tender  shift- 
ing tints  upon  the  sea,  which  sunnier  climates  cannot  show. 
.  .  .  Certainly,  it  is  a  great  thing  to  see  a  people  so  thoroughly 
reached  and  penetrated  as  the  Scotch  by  religious  agencies; 
and  no  doubt  it  is  mainly  to  this  power  that  they  owe  their 
escape  from  utter  barbarism  into  a  consciousness  of  Divine 
relations.  But  John  Knox,  I  am  persuaded,  will  do  no  more 
for  this  people,  or  even  long  hold  them  where  they  are ;  the 
next  stage  of  their  advance  waits  for  some  nobler  and  more 
genial  impulse.  When  I  see  what  the  real  stereotyped  Pres- 
byterianism  is,  I  thank  God  for  the  historical  discipline  which 
purified  our  English  ancestral  churches,  and  through  the  sac- 
rifices commemorated  this  day  opened  for  the  future  a  more 
catholic  spirit  and  a  more  progressive  life. 

The  October  number  of  the  "  National  Review "  con- 
tained another  of  his  philosophical  articles,  —  "  Science, 
Nescience,  and  Faith,"  —  which  was  mainly  a  criticism  of 
Mr.  Herbert  Spencer's  "  First  Principles."  ^ 

His  address  this  year,  at  the  opening  of  the  College 
session,  was  on  "  The  Transient  and  the  Permanent  in 
Theology."  ^  In  this  he  distinguishes  between  the  imme- 
diate apprehension  of  God  through  the  exercise  of  our 
faculties  and  the  mediate  knowledge  of  him  derived  from 
nature  and  from  history,  and  shows  that  the  latter  is  mixed 
up  with  intellectual  judgments  which  are  always  open  to 
revision.  From  these  the  leading  conceptions  of  the  Chris- 
tian faith  ought  to  disengage  themselves,  for  they  are 
moral  and  personal,  not  cosmical,  and  arise  out  of  the 
direct  relation  of  the  human  spirit  to  the  Divine.     Speak- 

1  Reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological,"  and  in  Essays,  III. 
'  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

400 


1863]        "KENAN'S   LIFE  OF  JESUS" 

ing  of  the  revelation  of  God  in  human  history  he  says: 
"  Clear  traces  of  himself  he  has  doubtless  impressed  on 
the  individual  soul.  But  individuality  itself  is  not  formed 
except  in  society  and  by  long  inheritance  of  time;  it  is 
the  last  product  of  rich  and  various  culture,  and  the  phi- 
losopher or  worshipper  of  to-day  is  an  epitome  of  all  the 
ages."  Hence  arises  the  need  of  wide  and  sympathetic 
study  of  biography,  history,  and  language.  "  Antipathy 
understands  nothing;  and  not  till  the  theologian  looks  on 
Christendom  as  the  last  stage  in  the  providential  evolution 
and  inspiration  of  humanity,  related  to  all  that  goes  be- 
fore, will  he  apprehend  either  what  lies  within  or  what 
lies  beyond  his  own  faith." 

The  next  two  years  are  marked  by  few  incidents;  but 
his  pen  was  not  idle.  He  wrote,  for  the  *'  National  Re- 
view," April,  1863,  and  April,  1864,  two  essays  on  the 
"  Early  History  of  Messianic  Ideas."  ^  These  are  chiefly 
expository,  and  give  an  account  of  the  Book  of  Daniel, 
the  Sibylline  Oracles,  and  the  Book  of  Enoch,  which, 
after  all  that  has  been  written  since,  may  still  be  recom- 
mended to  those  who  are  attracted  by  brilliant  criticism, 
and  desire  to  see  a  vivid  picture  of  Jewish  Apocalypse. 
In  this  discussion  he  is  unable,  with  Hilgenfeld,  to  dismiss 
the  Messianic  section  of  Enoch  as  a  Christian  addition, 
and  admits  the  hypothesis  of  interpolation  only  in  the  case 
of  very  special  phrases.  The  question  is  not  discussed  at 
any  length;  but  the  opinion  must  be  regarded  as  deliber- 
ate, since  it  differs  from  that  which  he  expressed  shortly 
before,  in  the  "  National  "  for  October,  1863,  in  his  re- 
view of  "  M.  Renan's  Life  of  Jesus."  *  He  there,  with- 
out contesting  the  point,  says  that  this  section  "  is  exposed 
to  reasonable  suspicion  of  being  a  Christian  addition  to 
the  original  production,  as  late  as  the  closing  decades  of 
the  first  century."     This  review  does  full  justice  to  Re- 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  III. 

26  401 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [1863 

nan's  "  brilliant  and  impressive  volume,"  while  bringing 
weighty  arguments  against  some  of  its  combinations,  and 
especially  defending  the  character  of  Jesus  from  the 
charge  of  gradual  deterioration.  A  few  indications  of 
the  present  state  of  his  own  opinions  may  be  noticed. 
Of  the  miracles  in  the  Gospels  he  says:  "  Even  those  who 
do  not  absolutely  recoil  from  the  miraculous  element  in 
the  narrative  must  feel  that  it  often  assumes  its  form 
from  untenable  and  obsolete  beliefs,  and  needs  to  be  either 
dropped  as  legendary,  or  corrected  into  intelligible  his- 
tory." He  relies,  without  hesitation,  on  the  apostolic 
authorship  of  the  Apocalypse,  and  on  the  facts  of  the 
Quartodeciman  controversy,  as  conclusive  against  the 
Johannine  origin  of  the  Fourth  Gospel.  While  still  re- 
fraining from  a  decided  expression  of  opinion,  he  says, 
"  it  may  be  reasonably  doubted  whether  we  should  ever 
find  Jesus  directly  identifying  himself  with  the  Messiah 
wliom  he  preached ;  and  should  not  rather  see  that  his 
definite  investiture  with  that  character  was  the  later  work 
of  disciples."  In  this  connection  he  discusses  the  mean- 
ing of  the  phrase  "  Son  of  Man,"  which,  he  conceives, 
Jesus  took  "  rather  in  avoidance  than  in  assertion  of  Mes- 
sianic claims."  A  noble  passage  must  be  quoted  in  full, 
as  revealing  his  unclouded  love  of  truth,  though  perhaps 
overlooking  the  danger  that,  in  minds  less  powerful  and 
less  informed  than  his  own,  a  rash  and  hasty  criticism 
may  sometimes  destroy  convictions  which  a  true  criticism 
finds  it  difficult  to  restore :  — 

"  No  doubt  it  is  a  tender  reverence  which  clings  to  each 
long-consecrated  Scripture;  but  the  piety  which  dominates 
evidence,  and  must  have  it  so,  is  less  noble  than  the  piety 
which  submits  to  it  and  lives  with  it  as  it  is.  When,  in  dis- 
cussing such  a  question  as  the  origin  of  the  Fourth  Gospel, 
a  theologian  becomes  pathetic  about  '  robbing  the  Christian 
of  his  treasure,'  and  drops  into  commonplaces  about  '  de- 
structive criticism,'  we  see  at  once,  beneath  that  saintly  per- 

402 


1863]  BISHOP   COLENSO 

turbation,  the  inner  heart  of  unbelief,  the  absence  of  repose 
upon  realities,  the  secret  purpose  to  remain  within  some 
nimbus  of  coloured  dreams.  Cleared  vision  can  '  rob '  us 
of  nothing-,  except  as  daylight  '  robs  '  the  night  of  ghosts. 
'  Criticism  '  can  '  destroy  '  nothing  but  illusions ;  the  disap- 
pearance of  which  either  restores  the  substituted  truth,  or  at 
least  leaves  its  place  duly  '  swept  and  garnished '  for  its  return. 
Criticfsm  can  '  construct '  nothing  but  hypotheses ;  which  are 
not  divme  facts,  but  mere  human  representations,  and  at  best 
can  only  fill  the  chasms  of  knowledge  with  ideal  shadows  of 
probability.  The  reproach  of  '  negative,'  the  boast  of  *  posi- 
tive '  theology,  are  alike  intrusions,  under  disguise,  of  per- 
sonal desires  on  the  very  field  consecrated  to  self-sacrifice. 
Nothing  is  '  positive '  or  '  negative '  except  in  relation  to  our 
preconceptions,  according  as  they  are  affirmed  or  contradicted ; 
and  to  use  such  words  as  tests  of  merit  and  expressions 
of  what  *  we  need,'  is  tacitly  to  stipulate  with  the  nature  of 
things  to  let  our  dreams  alone.  This  is  the  very  idol-worship 
and  pride  of  intellect ;  and  we  have  yet  to  learn  our  first 
lesson  in  the  religion  of  thought  till  we  feel  that  it  is  not  ours 
to  choose  where  the  light  shall  fall  or  how  much  of  it  there 
shall  be ;  still  less  to  play  tricks  with  it,  and  fling  its  images 
hither  and  thither  with  the  mirrors  and  lenses  of  our  own 
desires ;  but  to  watch  it  as  the  dawn,  and  let  it  steal  in  where 
it  will,  and  show  the  solid  forms  of  things,  though  it  turn 
the  dark  hollow  into  a  nest  of  beauty,  and  melt  our  visionary 
mountains  into  clouds." 

This  summer  he  did  not  seek  such  remote  solitudes  as 
on  some  previous  occasions.  Penmaenmawr  was  at  that 
time  less  covered  with  buildings  than  it  has  since  become; 
but  there  was  a  sufficient  number  of  lodgings  to  remove 
the  impression  of  loneliness;  and  not  far  off  was  Pendyff- 
ryn,  the  beautiful  residence  of  his  old  friend  Mr.  S.  D. 
Darbishire.  Here,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  sea  and  moun- 
tain, he  spent  the  vacation,  occupying  Ty-mawr,  a  house 
prettily  situated  in  its  own  grounds.  In  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Tayler,  of  September  4,  he  refers  to  Bishop  Colenso, 
whose  work  on  the  Pentateuch  was  creating  so  much 
excitement :  — 

403 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON       [1863 

"  He  [liis  son  Russell  J  arrived  here  just  in  time  to  spend 
a  last  evening  with  Bishop  Colenso,  who  much  wanted  to  see 
him  on  certain  Hebrew  matters.  The  Bishop  and  his  family 
were  upwards  of  a  fortnight  at  Pendyffryn,  and  we  saw  a 
good  deal  of  them.  He  preached  one  Sunday  in  the  drawing- 
room  at  Pendyffryn ;  a  sermon  of  pure  and  simple  natural 
faith,  deepened  wath  the  characteristic  Christian  tone,  on  the 
first  clause  of  the  Lord's  Prayer.  It  was  quite  extempore. 
If  I  mistake  not,  there  are  times  when  he  has  misgivings  as 
to  the  possibility  of  holding  his  ecclesiastical  ground,  and 
when  some  alternative  design  —  of  which,  on  mere  conjec- 
ture, I  hardly  ought  to  write  —  engages  his  thoughts.  But 
he  will  not  surrender,  unless  compelled ;  and  he  confidently 
expects  a  favourable  effect  from  the  anticipated  verdict  of 
the  Judicial  Committee  in  favour  of  Wilson  and  Williams. 
I  think  it  is  a  pity  that  he  commits  himself  in  his  books  to 
so  much  speculative  and  precarious  criticism.  His  analysis 
of  the  Psalms  and  argument  from  them  struck  me  as  forced 
and  weak ;  and  I  find  Russell  is  painfully  impressed  with  its 
untenable  character,  though  in  most  respects  satisfied  with 
his  volumes.  Your  suspicion  of  an  emergence  of  the  later 
Jehovistic  worship  from  a  far  grosser  prior  stage  is  very 
important,  and  carries  a  strong  internal  evidence  of  proba- 
bility. I  often  think  with  wonder  of  the  new  lights  that  seem 
to  be  everywhere  breaking  from  the  oldest  records  of  man- 
kind, by  little  else  than  the  purification  of  the  eye  that  scru- 
tinises them ;  and  am  grateful  for  the  testimony  it  gives  to 
the  power  of  inward  clearness  and  simplicity,  even  when 
dealing  with  scanty  materials." 

On  Thursday,  December  31,  he  spoke  once  more  in  his 
former  church  in  Liverpool,  giving  a  "  charge  to  minister 
and  congregation,"  on  the  occasion  of  the  Rev.  A.  Gor- 
don's settlement  as  a  pastor.^  This  charge  is  full  of 
spiritual  beauty,  setting  forth  his  idea  of  the  ministry, 
and  asking  for  a  due  response  from  the  congregation. 
One  sentence  may  be  quoted,  indicating  his  view  of  the 
relation  in  vv^hich  Christ  stands  to  the  religious  life  of 
man,  and  so  giving  us  a  glimpse  of  his  own  inward  ex- 
perience :    "  Christ  first  becomes  a  Revelation  to  us,  '  the 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

404 


1864]     CRITICISM  OF  NEW  TESTAMENT 

power  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God,'  when  he  is 
preached,  not  in  his  soHtary  individuaHty,  but  as  standing 
for  our  humanity  for  ever;  taking  the  veil  away  that  hid 
the  Holy  Presence  there,  interpreting  for  us  the  double 
nature  of  the  Self  that  is  ours  and  the  Spirit  that  is  His, 
and  finding  the  way  of  reconciliation  by  surrender  of  will 
and  utter  sacrifice." 

In  1864  he  contributed  to  the  "  National  Review  "  an 
article  on  "  The  Crisis  of  Faith."  ^  This  is  a  review  of 
M.  Guizot's  "Meditations  on  the  Essence  of  Christianity"; 
Strauss's  "  Das  Leben  Jesu  fiir  das  deutsche  Volk  bear- 
beitet  " ;  and  Dr.  Newman's  "  Apologia."  After  point- 
ing out  the  uneasiness  observable  in  all  schools  of  thought, 
he  devotes  his  chief  attention  to  an  examination  of  Guizot ; 
but  we  need  not  dwell  on  this,  as  we  are  already  familiar 
with  the  line  of  thought  which  he  adopts.  The  reader 
will  be  more  interested  by  an  extract  from  a  letter  to  Mr. 
Tayler,  written,  on  the  12th  of  August,  from  Kilgobbin, 
County  Dublin,  where  the  vacation  was  spent :  — 

"  The  last  number  of  the  '  Theological '  fills  me  with  new 
admiration  of  your  energy  as  a  reader  and  writer.  How  you 
could  manage  to  master  and  to  criticise  Strauss's  book  at 
the  end  of  the  Session  I  cannot  imagine.  I  have  been  reading 
it  (only,  it  is  true,  at  odd  times)  ever  since  we  came  here, 
and  have  not  yet  got  through  it.  I  was  not  prepared  for  such 
large  allowance  of  an  historical  groundwork  to  the  Gospel 
narrative ;  still  less,  for  so  fine  an  appreciation  of  the  essential 
characteristics  of  the  teaching  and  spirit  of  Jesus.  His 
chapters,  exhibiting  this  positive  side  of  his  critique,  are  to 
me  exceedingly  impressive ;  and  incline  me  to  forgive  the 
ingenuity  with  which,  in  the  subsequent  book,  he  overworks 
his  mythical  solutions.  Zeller  —  as  you  truly  say  —  has  the 
same  fault ;  yet,  take  it  all  in  all,  his  *  Apostelgeschichte ' 
appears  to  me  one  of  the  most  masterly  productions  of  the 
modern  historical  school.  For  my  part,  I  cannot  but  own 
that,  limit  as  we  may  and  must  the  extent  of  these  critics' 
conclusions,  they  have  struck  into  the  right  path,  and  have 

^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 


PROFESSORSHIP  IN  LONDON      [1864' 

done  more  than  seemed  possible  before,  to  reconstruct  the 
conditions  of  the  earHest  Christianity.  How,  consistently 
\vith  lidl  disclosure  of  these  conditions,  to  save,  for  the  strug- 
gling- mass  of  men,  the  true  power  of  the  religion,  is  a  problem, 
which,  I  suppose,  must  remain  a  perplexity  to  this  age,  and 
find  solution  through  the  fidelity  of  our  successors.  I  am 
sorry  to  see  that  Guizot  in  his  *  Meditations  '  takes  refuge 
in  mere  reactionary  blindness,  —  a  blindness  venial  enough 
in  an  old  man's  private  faith,  but  disqualifying  him  for  public 
resistance  to  a  movement  which  he  cannot  appreciate.  With 
a  French  layman's  lax  conception  of  Christian  dogma,  and 
an  English  Dissenter's  uncritical  notion  of  the  Bible,  he  dresses 
up  an  amiable  but  feeble  protest,  which  neither  orthodoxy  nor 
learning  can  accept.  Doubtless  it  is  the  Atheism  of  the  Posi- 
tive school,  and  the  Pantheism  of  Renan,  which,  confounded 
in  his  mind  with  the  freer  historical  criticism,  drives  him  into 
undiscriminating   reaction." 

The  position  of  the  "  National  Review  "  had  for  some 
time  been  precarious,  and  the  April  number,  in  1864, 
brought  it  to  a  close.  In  November  a  "  New  Series " 
began;  but  the  public  response  was  not  sufficient  to  jus- 
tify the  promoters  in  continuing  their  efiforts.  In  March 
of  the  same  year  the  first  number  of  a  new  journal,  "  The 
Theological  Review,"  was  published  under  the  able  editor- 
ship of  the  Rev.  Charles  Beard.  It  was  believed  that  this 
would  not  interfere  with  the  "  National " ;  for  it  was 
more  limited  in  scope,  and,  though  it  was  conducted  on 
broad  lines,  and  was  not  confined  to  Unitarian  contribu- 
tors, it  was  understood  to  be  in  a  loose  sense  a  denomina- 
tional organ.  Mr.  Martineau  regarded  it  with  approval, 
though  he  felt  unable  to  be  one  of  its  regular  staff. 

On  the  loth  of  November,  1864,  he  preached  a  sermon 
at  the  opening  of  Oakfield  Road  Church,  Clifton,  entitled 
"  The  God  of  the  Living."  ^  The  theme  of  the  sermon  is 
the  presence  of  the  "  life  of  God  in  the  soul  of  man  and 
in  the  courses  of  the  world."  An  historical  revelation 
"  is   not  a  revelation  of  which  we  have  a  finished   his- 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

406 


1865]     "PROGRESSIVE   KNOWLEDGE" 

tory;  but  a  revelation  of  God  through  human  history; 
therefore  with  foci,  it  may  be,  of  intensest  Hght,  but  with 
curve  wide  as  the  sweep  and  continuous  as  the  Hnes  of 
our  humanity."  Hence  Revelation,  as  the  "  unfolding  of 
God's  living  personality  where  it  was  undiscerned  before," 
is  inevitably  "  progressive  and  indefinitely  open."  Christ 
is,  indeed,  a  real  person,  whose  spirit  and  characteristic 
words  are  known  facts;  but  men's  power  of  apprehension 
is  not  the  same,  and,  "  ever  since  the  Advent,  the  divine 
image  of  the  Son  of  God  has  been  going  its  round  through 
the  chambers  of  our  sleeping  humanity;  flashing  on  the 
eyelids  ready  to  be  lifted  at  its  approach,  and  mingling 
with  the  dreams  of  those  whose  hour  was  not  yet  come"; 
so  that  "  the  full  significance  of  God's  revelation  in  him 
is  found  in  the  consciousness  not  of  the  first  age,  but  of 
the  last."  These  thoughts  are  unfolded  with  his  usual 
wealth  of  language  and  illustration. 

In  November,  1865,  the  pages  of  the  "  Theological  Re- 
view "  were  enriched  by  the  address  which  he  had  deliv- 
ered at  the  opening  of  the  Session  at  Manchester  New 
College,  on  the  9th  of  October.  The  subject  was  kindred 
to  that  which  he  had  selected  three  years  before,  —  "  The- 
ology in  Relation  to  Progressive  Knowledge."  ^  Having 
shown  that  theolog}%  if  it  is  capable  of  being  taught,  must 
have  something  real  and  permanent  for  the  intellect  to 
hold  by,  and  also  undetermined  and  progressive  lines  on 
which  the  teacher  must  move,  and  having  criticised  the 
prevailing  mode  of  dividing  the  constant  from  the  variable 
elements,  he  thus  stated  the  principle  which  was  observed 
in  the  College :  "  The  things  about  which  wc  teach  are 
given  in  perpetuity;  but  the  things  to  he  taught  about 
them  are  open  to  revision  in  every  age."  This  enlarge- 
ment of  the  variables  in  theology,  so  as  to  include  the 
whole  sphere  of  phenomenal  knowledge,  cannot  put   any 

1  Reprinted  in  "  Essays  Philosophical  and  Theological,"  and  in  Essays,  IV. 

407 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN    LONDON      [is66 

real  Revelation  at  hazard;  for  all  revelation  must  be  a 
disclosure  of  things  as  they  arc;  and  scientific  evidence 
can  only  bring  us  closer  to  reality.  "  If  Christendom, 
sickly  and  feeble  with  its  long  disease  of  dogma,  has  come 
to  put  its  trust,  not  so  much  in  the  living  God  and  his  own 
real  ways,  as  in  certain  opinions  about  him  and  reports 
of  his  acts,  it  is  a  healing  process  to  disengage  its  soul 
from  the  detaining  veil  of  human  notions  and  proposi- 
tions, and  deliver  it  straight  into  personal  divine  rela- 
tions." One  of  the  examples  of  altered  thought  may  be 
quoted :  "  If  from  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ  the  artificial 
dress  of  Messianic  investiture  and  some  disguising  shreds 
of  Jewish  fable  drop  away,  who  that  can  fix  an  appre- 
ciating eye  on  the  emerging  form  will  not  say  that  it  is 
diviner  far,  embodying  in  its  grand  and  touching  linea- 
ments the  essence  and  spirit  of  a  new  life  of  God  in  our 
humanity?  " 

The  cessation  of  the  "  National  Review  "  was  followed 
by  a  marked  change  in  Mr.  Martineau's  literary  habits, 
and  the  years  are  no  longer  crowded  with  his  searching 
criticisms  and  suggestive  essays.  The  great  event  of  the 
year  1866  was  an  incident  connected  with  University  Col- 
lege, in  which,  for  once,  orthodoxy  and  heresy  kissed  one 
another  in  the  friendship  of  a  common  bigotry.  There 
was  much  warmth  of  feeling  on  both  sides  of  the  contro- 
versy at  the  time;  but  Mr.  Martineau,  while  thinking  the 
action  of  the  College  wrong  in  principle,  preserved  his 
own  equable  temper,  and  restrained  the  zeal  of  some  of 
his  combative  supporters.  The  narrative  may  be  related 
in  his  own  calm  words,  from  the  "  Biographical  Memo- 
randa," supplemented  by  a  few  further  dates  and  facts : — 

"  On  the  occurrence,  in  1866,  of  a  vacancy  in  the  Univer- 
sity College  Professorship  of  the  Philosophy  of  Mind  and 
Logic,  through  the  retirement  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Hoppus,  I 
became  a  candidate  for  the  Chair   [having  first  obtained  the 

408 


1866]    UNIVERSITY  COLLEGE  REJECTION 

sanction  of  the  Committee  of  Manchester  New  College,  in 
reply  to  a  letter  written  on  the  ist  of  July].  At  the  age  of 
sixty-one  this  was  a  step  not  to  be  taken  without  careful  con- 
sideration ;  and  so  reasonable  appeared  to  me  a  preference 
for  some  younger  man  that  I  should  have  felt  it  no  grievance 
had  my  application  been  at  once  set  aside  on  this  ground. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  was  habitually  teaching  the  subjects 
required  within  stone's  throw  of  University  College,  many 
students  of  which  resorted  to  my  classes  and  did  well  in  their 
University  examinations ;  and,  whilst  thus  a  certain  store  of 
materials  and  experience  was  ready,  I  was  conscious  of  not 
being  sleepy  in  my  methods,  but  on  the  watch  to  simplify  or 
enrich  them  with  every  obtainable  improvement.  Against 
the  disadvantages  of  age  there  seemed  therefore  a  sufficient 
set-off  in  my  position  to  justify  the  offer  of  my  services. 

"  My  previous  work  having  been  so  much  within  sight  of 
University  College,  I  sought  no  testimony  of  competency 
except  from  two  or  three  eminent  'experts'  in  the  subjects 
of  the  Chair,  who  could  speak  with  some  authority  on  tech- 
nical matters  not  likely  to  be  familiar  to  the  electing  body. 
I  was  aware  from  correspondence  or  personal  intercourse, 
that  F.  W.  Newman,  J.  S.  Mill,  and  Dr.  Thomson,  Arch- 
bishop of  York,  had  knowledge  of  such  occasional  writings 
as  I  had  put  forth  on  logical  and  metaphysical  topics ;  and 
I  asked  them  whether  they  would  object  to  record  their  judg- 
ment of  these,  so  far  as  they  indicated  fitness  or  unfitness  to 
teach.  Mr.  Newman's  answer  was  immediate,  cordial,  and 
exact.  Mr.  Mill  was  even  more  appreciative,  and  said  what 
could  hardly  fail  to  be  decisive,  if  produced  in  evidence ;  but 
he  added  that,  as  he  could  not  miss  the  opportunity  of  plant- 
ing, if  possible,  a  disciple  of  his  own  school  in  a  place  of 
influence,  he  must  throw  his  weight  into  the  scale  of  Mr. 
Croom  Robertson's  candidature,  of  whose  competency  he  was 
well  satisfied.  His  attestation,  therefore,  privately  so  gen- 
erous to  me,  must  be  withheld  from  use.  The  Archbishop 
of  York  sent  me  a  reply,  twelve  months  after  the  affair  was 
all  over,  apologising  for  his  silence,  and  candidly  explaining 
it  as  the  result  of  a  theological  scruple;  for,  if  he  had  said 
what  he  thought  true  of  my  personal  qualifications  for  the 
vacant  office,  he  would  have  been  helping  to  a  place  of  influ- 
ence one  who  did  not  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity. 
In  this  spectacle,  of  Mr.  Mill  and  the  Archbishop  moving 
hand  in  hand,  under  the  common  guidance  of  a  sectarian 
motive,  there  is  a  curious  irony. 

409 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN    LONDON      [isee 

"  In  aid  of  its  judji^ment  in  making  new  teaching  appoint- 
ments, the  Council  of  University  College  consults  the  Senate 
of  Professors,  from  which  a  report  is  received  after  exami- 
nation of  the  candidates'  apparent  merits.  [All  applications 
were  to  be  sent  in  by  the  i6th  of  July ;  and  the  Senate  was  to 
report  its  recommendation  to  a  meeting  of  the  Council  on  the 
4th  of  August,  when  the  election  was  to  be  made.]  The 
Senate  having  reported  in  my  favour,  it  was  supposed  that 
the  matter  was  practically  settled.  But  at  the  Council-meeting, 
Mr,  Grote,  whose  official  and  personal  influence  was  naturally 
powerful,  strongly  resisted  the  usual  action  on  the  Report, 
and  by  his  casting-vote  ^  negatived  the  Resolution  for  my  ap- 
pointment. His  objection  was,  that,  as  a  minister  of  religion, 
I  was  disqualified  for  the  Chair;  and,  if  I  remember  right, 
he  endeavoured  (unsuccessfully)  to  carry  a  General  Resolu- 
tion, declaring  that  such  appointments  should  be  reserved  for 
secular  persons  only.  It  was  obvious  to  reply  that,  applica- 
tions for  the  Chair  having  been  invited  without  any  such 
limitation,  it  could  not  now  be  avowed  as  a  ground  of  exclu- 
sion ;  that  the  retiring  Professor  himself  had  been  a  minister 
of  religion ;  and  that,  through  the  whole  history  of  the  College 
(as  now),  clergymen,  Jewish  preachers,  and  Nonconformist 
ministers  had  been  eligible,  and  elected  for  its  several  Chairs. 
The  very  principle  indeed  which  the  College  was  founded 
to  represent  was  that  of  non-exclusion,  —  of  scholars  or  of 
teachers,  —  on  religious  grounds,  and  the  equal  eligibility 
of  all  competent  persons,  irrespectively  of  their  relations  to 
theology,  for  its  responsible  offices.  [Mr.  Grote's  resolution 
was  '  that  the  Council  consider  it  inconsistent  with  the  com- 
plete religious  neutrality  proclaimed  and  adopted  by  Univer- 
sity College  to  appoint  to  the  Chair  of  the  Philosophy  of  Mind 
and  Logic  a  candidate  eminent  as  minister  and  preacher  of 
any  one  among  the  various  sects  dividing  the  religious  world.' 
This  resolution  was  lost  by  a  majority  of  one.  On  the  motion 
that  Mr,  Martineau  be  appointed  the  votes  were  equal,  and 
the  Chairman,  Lord  Belper,  gave  his  casting-vote  against  it.] 

"  The  effect  of  the  casting-vote  was  purely  negative.  No 
one  was  elected:  no  one  was  rejected:  the  proposed  choice 
had  simply  not  taken  place.  The  Council  accordingly  began 
de  novo,  and  advertised  the  vacancy  over  again  as  if  for  fresh 
applications,  to  be  in  their  turn  submitted  to  the  judgment 
of  the  Senate,     Of  this  advertisement  I  knew  nothing;    and 

1  This  is  an  error,  as  Lord  Belper  was  in  the  Chair. 

410 


1866]   UNIVERSITY  COLLEGE   REJECTION 

my  application,  having  received  no  answer,  remained  as  it 
was.  Mr.  Robertson,  I  believe,  re-applied ;  but  no  fresh  can- 
didates appeared.  As  the  Senate  therefore  had  no  new 
materials  before  it,  there  was  little  chance  of  drawing  from 
it  any  altered  judgment.  An  attempt,  however,  was  made 
to  show  that  the  candidates,  though  not  more  than  before, 
were  fewer;  for  my  application,  not  having  been  renewed, 
might  be  treated  as  withdrawn.  As  it  was  still,  with  its  sup- 
porting documents,  in  the  Secretary's  hands,  it  could  not  be 
set  aside  without  communication  with  me.  But  I  might, 
perhaps,  be  brought  to  say,  that  I  was  not  an  applicant  this 
second  time;  and  then  the  act  of  dropping  my  candidature 
would  be  my  own,  and  nothing  would  stand  in  the  way  of  the 
desired  result.  I  was  accordingly  pressed  to  declare  whether 
I  had  repeated  my  application ;  and  had  only  to  answer  that, 
having  heard  nothing  of  my  original  application,  no  occa- 
sion for  a  second  had  arisen.  The  question  before  the  Senate, 
being  thus  identical  with  the  former  one,  could  only  be  an- 
swered in  the  same  way ;  but  the  effect  of  the  answer  might, 
perhaps,  be  neutralised  by  attaching  a  word  of  doubt  whether 
it  would  be  expedient  to  appoint  a  minister  of  religion,  and 
adding  that,  if  there  was  weight  in  this  doubt,  the  Junior 
candidate  presented  satisfactory  evidence  of  competency.  I 
believe  I  am  correct  in  saying  that  in  this  form  the  Senate's 
Report  came  before  the  Council  [which  met  on  the  3d  of 
November,  and  once  more  rejected  the  motion  for  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  election].  The  awkwardness  of  a  collision  between 
*  the  two  houses  '  being  thus  removed,  the  election  of  Mr. 
Robertson  was  secured  by  a  coalition  between  those  who 
objected  to  a)iy  minister  of  religion  and  those  who  objected 
to  an  unorthodox  minister.  There  was  the  more  room  for 
the  play  of  these  objections,  because  my  competitor  had  every 
merit  that  could  be  proved  of  an  untried  man,  and  gave  no 
uncertain  promise  of  these  high  qualifications  for  the  functions 
of  a  teacher  and  an  independent  thinker  which  he  has  since 
evinced. 

"  To  the  story  which  seemed  here  to  close,  there  was  still  an 
appendix.  Though  the  appointment  to  the  Chair  was  legiti- 
mate and  complete  and  there  was  no  desire  to  disturb  it, 
many  of  the  College  Governors  saw,  in  the  reasons  which  had 
avowedly  determined  it  and  which  Mr.  Grote  had  sought  to 
erect  into  a  rule  recorded  on  the  Minutes,  a  violation  of  the 
fundamental  principle  of  their  Institution ;  and  called,  by 
requisition,  a  Special  General  Meeting  of  Proprietors  to  re- 

411 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN   LONDON      [isse 

view  the  proceeding's  of  the  Council.  [The  requisition  was 
signed  by  fourteen  Fellows  of  the  College  and  six  other  Pro- 
prietors. Mr.  Robertson  had  not  in  fact  been  yet  appointed, 
though  Mr.  Martineau's  candidature  had  been  definitely  re- 
jected. The  Council  met  on  the  8th  of  December,  and,  in 
deference  to  some  legal  difficulties  which  were  raised,  re- 
ferred the  requisition  to  the  law  officers ;  and  then  rendered 
any  possible  meeting  of  the  Proprietors  nugatory  by  proceed- 
ing to  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Robertson.^]  The  policy  of 
this  measure  did  little  justice  to  its  excellent  intention.  An 
abstract  constitutional  principle  is  put  to  too  severe  a  strain 
when  its  assertion,  besides  being  retrospective  and  condemna- 
tory, is  matched  against  a  crowd  of  inconvenient  practical 
consequences.  Any  resolution  which  could  satisfy  the  Requi- 
sitionists  would  have  been  regarded  as  a  vote  of  censure  by 
the  Council,  and  been  followed  by  their  resignation ;  and 
their  retirement  could  not  but  afifect  the  stability  of  the  ap- 
pointment, in  making  which  they  had  incurred  unfavourable 
comment.  Nor  would  any  successors  to  them  be  readily 
found,  under  the  liability  to  have  their  action  called  in  ques- 
tion, not  simply  at  their  Annual  rendering  of  their  account, 
but  at  Special  Meetings  convened  to  arraign  it.  These  con- 
siderations were  sufficient  to  incline  the  majority  —  now  that 
the  affair  was  over  —  '  quieta  non  movere  ' ;  even  apart  from 
the  predominant  influence  of  Mr.  Grote  and  the  school  with 
whom  any  admission  of  Religion  is  a  disqualification  for 
Philosophy.  The  proceedings  of  the  Council  were  conse- 
quently upheld. 

"  The  College  which,  in  these  transactions,  gained  one  ad- 
mirable Professor,  lost  another.  Professor  Augustus  De 
Morgan,  who  by  his  matchless  teaching  had  wrought  the 
marvel  of  making  Mathematics  popular,  and  by  his  original 
researches  had  variously  advanced  as  well  as  simplified  their 
methods,  had  been  originally  drawn  to  the  College  by  the  at- 
traction of  its  non-exclusive  constitution,  and,  from  hearty 
allegiance  to  this,  had  given  to  it  the  industry  of  a  life  and 
the  lustre  of  a  brilliant  reputation.  With  his  simple  and 
direct  moral  vision  he  saw  at  once  that  all  he  cared  for  in 
the  College  was  at  stake  in  the  question  which  this  election 
raised.  Just  and  liberal  to  his  inmost  heart,  and  logical  in 
his  whole  thought,  he  despised  negative  and  positive  intoler- 
ance alike,  and  could  never  admit  that  the  one  was  '  broad  ' 


1  So  the  facts  are  given  in  the  "Theological  Review,"  January,  1867,  p.  121. 

412 


1866]    UNIVERSITY  COLLEGE  REJECTION 

and  the  other  '  narrow.'  '  I  came  here,'  he  once  said  to  me, 
*  on  the  understanding-  that  a  man  in  office  may  have  any  the- 
ology, provided  he  sticks  to  his  own  subject  in  his  class ;  if 
the  stipulation  is  to  be  that  a  man  shall  have  no  theology,  I 
am  just  as  much  disqualified  as  you ;  and  the  College,  in- 
stead of  respecting  conscience,  snubs  conscience;  instead  of 
comprehending  everybody,  excludes  all  but  secularists.'  In 
his  view,  either  the  College  had  become  unfaithful  to  its  pro- 
fessions, or  he  had  mistaken  its  professions  and  served  it 
under  an  illusion ;  whichever  it  was,  nothing  remained  for 
him  but  to  take  his  leave  of  it.  He  resigned  his  Chair.  And 
though  he  could  ill  spare  its  modest  emoluments,  he  forgot 
his  private  loss  in  the  intensity  of  his  public  regrets.  It  is 
right  to  add  that  his  judgment  on  this  matter  was  entirely 
unaffected  by  any  personal  preference.  Both  candidates 
were  strangers  to  him  in  almost  equal  degree;  and  the 
friendly  relation  in  wdiich  I  stood  to  him  in  his  declining 
days  had  its  origin  from  the  issue  of  this  very  affair.  For 
aught  I  know,  he  may  have  thought  me  the  less  qualified  can- 
didate ;  in  that  case,  he  would  no  less  have  disapproved  of 
my  rejection  on  any  other  ground  than  that  of  my  inferiority. 
"  The  vision  of  an  enlarged  sphere  of  responsibility  having 
vanished,  I  returned  to  my  '  few  youths  in  a  corner '  with 
unabated  zeal.  Happily,  the  scale  and  publicity  of  life  had 
never  been  of  any  importance  to  me.  The  interest  of  my 
work  has  lain  in  its  subjects  rather  than  its  witnesses  or 
audience;  and  so  long  as  there  was  some  reception  or  re- 
ciprocation of  thought  to  justify  a  student's  enthusiasm,  the 
sympathy  of  two  or  three  served  me  as  well  as  that  of  so 
many  hundreds.  As  soon  as  it  became  evident  that  the  Chair 
in  University  College  was  filled  by  a  thoroughly  efficient 
teacher,  I  resigned  into  his  hands,  with  the  consent  of  the 
Manchester  New  College  authorities,  the  instruction  of  our 
Undergraduate  Students." 

His  feelings  at  the  time  are  expressed  in  a  letter  to  the 

Rev.  W.  H.  Channing :  — 

10  Gordon  Street,  W.  C,  Dec.  14,  1866. 

My  dear  Mr.  Channing,  —  Among  the  letters  from  my 
friends  which  outweigh  all  personal  disappointment  at  my  re- 
jection by  University  College,  there  is  not  one  which  carries 
me  beyond  the  momentary  check,  and  awakens  me  to  new 
desires  of  service,  as  yours.     Not  that  your  generous  v;ords 

413 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [1866 

bcg-uile  me  for  an  instant  from  my  quiet  self-knowledge,  with 
all  that  it  contains  to  sober  and  humble  me ;  but  they  faith- 
fully remind  me  of  unaccomplished  duties  which,  be  their 
magnitude  ever  so  small,  are  of  greater  worth  than  I,  and  con- 
fer a  privilege  wherever  they  malce  a  claim.  I  desired  this  ap- 
pointment chiefly  as  an  incentive  to  a  proper  completion  of 
my  work  as  a  teacher.  Whether,  in  default  of  such  constant 
stimulus,  I  shall  want  strength  of  will  to  concentrate  myself, 
for  what  remains  of  life,  on  my  half-executed  designs,  I  know 
not.  But  just  now,  touched  at  once  by  the  appeals  of  friends 
and  by  the  growing  ascendancy  of  a  narrow  and  ignoble 
philosophy,  I  am  not  without  fresh  hopes  and  purposes  of 
self-dedication.  The  one  disheartening  feature  to  me  about 
the  recent  controversy  is,  the  entire  incapacity  of  such  a  body 
of  men  as  the  Senate  and  Council  of  the  University  College 
to  appreciate  any  obligation  of  principle  with  regard  to  their 
trust ;  their  unhesitating  readiness  to  introduce  religious  dis- 
abilities into  a  College  founded  in  escape  from  them ;  and 
the  rancour  evidently  felt  by  the  majority  tov^^ards  any  philos- 
ophy that  can  co-exist  on  the  same  plane  with  earnest  reli- 
gious conviction.  To  an  orthodox  man,  whose  mind  rents 
two  houses  —  putting  his  religion  into  one  and  his  philosophy 
into  the  other  —  and  allows  no  door  between  them,  they  have 
comparatively  little  objection;  they  can  have  the  house  that 
is  without  a  God,  just  as  if  the  other  did  not  exist,  and  so 
get  a  purely  secular  teaching,  suggestive  of  nothing  beyond 
the  utilities.  The  distinctness  with  which  this  tone  of  feeling 
has  declared  itself  has  for  some  time  reconciled  me  to  the 
expectation  of  a  rejected  candidature. 

In  a  letter  to  Dr.  Dewey,  written  before  the  final  deci- 
sion of  the  Council,  he  briefly  stated  the  reasons  for  his 
candidature.  Dr.  Dewey  wrote  in  reply,  on  Jan.  4,  1867: 
"  What  private  reasons  there  may  be  for  your  having  de- 
sired that  place  in  London  University  —  what  precisely 
you  mean  by  '  a  somewhat  larger  sphere  and  better  status  ' 
—  I  do  not  know ;  but  your  position  here  is  worth  forty 
professorships,  and  I  think  it  must  be  at  home." 

The  summer  of  1866  was  spent  with  his  family  in  Savoy 
and  Switzerland ;  and  in  revisiting  the  country  after  thirty- 
two  years  he  "  found  it  not  less  fresh  for  being  unforgot- 

414 


1865]    THE  "FREE   CHRISTIAN   UNION" 

ten,  and  even  more  divine  for  blending  the  light  of  past 
and  present."  ^ 

For  a  few  years,  at  this  period,  Mr.  Martineau  was 
deeply  interested  in  denominational  affairs,  and  in  efforts 
to  realise  his  aspirations  after  a  larger  fellowship  than 
was  afforded  by  any  existing  sect.  The  immediate  occa- 
sion for  these  efforts  was  furnished  by  a  notice  of  motion, 
given  by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Bache  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  British  and  Foreign  Unitarian  Association,  in  1865, 
that  the  terms  "  Unitarian  Christianity  "  should  be  clearly 
defined.  These  terms  occur  in  the  fundamental  Rule  of 
the  Association,  which  was  formed  "  for  the  promotion 
of  the  principles  of  Unitarian  Christianity  at  home  and 
abroad."  It  was  supposed  that  these  words,  which  left 
open  an  ample  field  for  varying  convictions,  were  suffi- 
ciently clear  without  the  interposition  of  any  theological 
definitions.  But  a  "  new  school "  had  arisen,  of  which 
Mr.  Tayler  and  Mr.  Martineau  were  the  chief  representa- 
tives, and  which  was  distinguished  by  a  keener  perception 
of  the  difficulties  created  by  historical  criticism,  and  by  a 
reliance  on  the  internal  rather  than  the  external  evidence 
of  the  truths  of  Christianity.  With  this  tendency  Mr. 
Bache  had  no  sympathy,  and  it  seemed  to  him  to  be  a 
complete  departure  from  what  he  had  always  understood 
by  Unitarian  Christianity.  In  a  most  courteous  letter, 
dated  the  7th  of  August,  and  printed  in  "  The  Inquirer," 
he  addressed  the  members  of  the  Association,  explaining 
that  his  purpose  was  simply  to  prevent  a  theological  jug- 
gling with  words,  and  expressing  his  own  desire  to  with- 
draw, if  Unitarian  Christianity  were  so  interpreted  as  to 
exclude  a  devout  recognition  of  what  he  regarded  as  fun- 
damental doctrines.  It  might  have  been  thought  a  simple 
and  logically  unassailable  thing  for  any  Association  to 
explain  its  objects  to  an  anxious  and  scrupulous  member; 

1  From  a  letter  to  Alger. 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [1865 

but  it  was  generally  assumed  that  Mr.  Bache's  resolution 
was  virtually  an  attempt  to  impose  a  creed,  and  to  infringe 
the  principles  of  religious  liberty.  On  this  ground  he 
failed  to  obtain  any  considerable  support,  even  from  those 
who  were  in  sympathy  with  his  theology.  Mr.  Tayler's 
view  of  what  he  regarded  as  a  grave  crisis  is  expressed 
in  a  published  letter  of  September  3.^  To  this  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau  replied  on  September  12:  — 

"  With  every  word  that  you  say  in  reference  to  the  move- 
ments within  our  own  religious  body  I  heartily  and  unre- 
servedly concur.  I  do  not  suppose  that  Bache's  Resolution 
will  receive  any  considerable  support ;  his  own  nearest  friends 
and  theological  comrades  .  .  .  being  opposed  to  him,  and 
complaining  of  him  that  he  is  '  impervious  to  reasoning.' 
But  the  spirit  which  he  has  awakened,  especially  in  some  of 
the  London  ministers,  will  not  be  satisfied  without  attempting 
in  other  ways  to  separate  the  conservative  from  the  progres- 
sive elements  in  our  body.  And  when  I  read  what  Mr. 
Madge  or  Mr.  Bache  have  to  say  on  these  matters,  and  ob- 
serve the  limits  within  which  their  thought  works  upon  them, 
and  their  uncritical  assumptions  with  regard  to  the  historical 
Scriptures,  I  am  not  surprised  at  their  alarm.  With  a  habit 
of  repose  on  external  authority,  and  a  confirmed  distrust  of 
the  inner  and  ultimate  springs  of  pious  faith,  it  must  be  a 
fearful  thing  to  see  what  had  been  taken  for  material  fact 
dissolve  by  the  infiltration  of  doubt,  or  change  its  form  and 
significance,  and  borrow  all  its  divine  meaning  and  power 
from  the  very  conscience  and  spiritual  insight,  whose  absence 
it  was  supposed  to  supply.  It  must  be  confessed  that,  in  their 
sense,  we  have  no  external  authority  to  take  the  place  of  what 
the  critic  has  wrested  from  the  old  Protestantism ;  nothing 
that  can  be  used  mechanically  as  an  oracle,  determining  doc- 
trine and  duty  by  grammatical  interpretation  of  sentences ; 
and  the  mass  of  men  are  not  readily  convinced  that  it  would 
not  be  a  good  thing  to  have  such  an  authority,  if  it  were  to 
be  found.  Here  lies  our  difficulty,  —  to  lift  men  into  a  higher 
state  of  mind,  and  so  quicken  their  spiritual  nature  as  to  re- 
lieve the  need  (essentially  irreligious)  of  mere  testimonial 
information,  as  if  the  facts  of  faith  belonged  to  a  foreign 


*  See  Letters,  II.  p.  z^sqq. 

416 


1855]     THE  "FREE   CHRISTIAN  UNION" 

sphere.  Did  our  success  depend  on  this  alone,  —  on  our 
abihty  to  supersede  the  craving  for  authority,  —  I  should  not 
be  sanguine.  But  necessity  will  do  for  us  what  would  not  be 
yielded  to  preference.  Our  cultivated  and  thoughtful  lay- 
men —  whether  or  not  they  would  like  to  rely  on  prophecy, 
miracle,  and  oracle  —  begin  to  know  that,  in  the  sense  and 
to  the  extent  required,  they  cannot.  And  whatever  their  de- 
fects may  be,  they  are  veracious  and  hate  pretence;  and  will 
never,  I  believe,  sanction  any  attempt  to  divorce  religion  from 
the  reality  of  things  as  God  has  made  them  and  men  may 
fxud  them.  With  a  secret  wish  that  Mr.  Madge's  theology 
were  tenable,  they  will  give  free  scope  to  ours ;  and  it  will  be 
for  us  to  show  that  the  essence  of  Christianity,  the  pure 
power  of  godliness  and  righteousness,  suffers  no  detriment, 
but  rather  gains  a  larger  range  and  deeper  tone  by  the  in- 
evitable change.  For  my  own  part,  I  can  truly  say  that  my 
reverent  appreciation  of  the  personality  of  Jesus,  and  the 
spirit  of  his  life,  has  risen  concurrently  with  the  discharge, 
by  critical  process,  of  a  mass  of  traditional  adhesions  invest- 
ing and  obscuring  the  unique  and  simple  figure  of  himself ; 
and  I  feel  entire  trust  that  other  minds,  conducted  through 
the  same  process,  will  find  the  same  experience.  To  secure 
this  end,  and  help  the  needful  transition,  without  violent 
break  in  either  the  continuity  of  the  old  pieties  or  the  recog- 
nition of  new  truth,  I  am  prepared  to  make  any  effort  with 
you,  or  submit  to  any  sacrifice  of  secondary  preferences, 
which  the  times  or  the  conditions  of  effective  co-operation 
may  demand.  I  have  small  hope  of  any  early  widening  of 
the  National  Church,  though  that  is  the  end  to  which  I  would 
willingly  look.  And  for  generations  to  come  I  see  no  ark 
of  refuge,  no  retreat  for  the  Christian  spirit  which  is  at  once 
catholic  and  intellectual,  but  our  little  Church ;  and  we  must 
keep,  if  we  can,  the  balance  true  between  the  width  of  its 
thought  and  the  depth  of  its  devotion." 

A  few  days  earlier,  September  9,  a  letter  of  his  was 
printed  in  "  The  Inquirer,"  replying  to  some  misunder- 
standing of  his  position.  Among  other  things,  he  had 
been  asked  to  explain  on  what  basis  he  regarded  a  Chris- 
tian Church  as  standing.     To  this  he  answers :  — 

"  As  I  had  occasion  to  do  so,  with  sufficient  explicitness,  six 
years  ago,  in  a  pamphlet  already  quoted   ('Church  Life?  or 
27  417 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [1865 

Sect  Life?'),  and  sec  no  reason  to  modify  the  opinions  there 
expressed,  I  have  dehvered  my  testimony,  and  have  no  claim 
to  be  heard  on  this  toi)ic  again.  This  only  will  I  add.  Every 
year  I  more  deeply  deplore  the  increasing  departure  of  our 
religious  body  from  the  principles  there  defended,  and  its 
consequent  loss  of  hold  on  the  spiritual  and  intellectual  sym- 
pathies of  its  own  best  members  and  of  the  most  promising 
elements  in  English  society.  I  believe  that  by  courageously 
retracing  its  steps,  cultivating  its  own  special  inheritance,  and 
ceasing  to  emulate  the  sects  that  live  upon  the  idea  of  an 
*  orthodoxy,'  it  is  not  too  late  to  recover  an  honourable,  if 
not  distinguished,  representative  position.  But  if,  in  us  too, 
without  the  excuse  of  a  belief  in  exclusive  '  salvation,'  the 
sense  of  theological  difference  has  become  too  strong  for  the 
blending  power  of  spiritual  affection,  —  if  we  cannot  kneel 
and  work  together  without  concurrence  not  only  in  wJiat  we 
trust  and  worship,  but  also  in  the  zvhy  we  do  so,  —  then, 
assuredly,  the  hour  has  struck  for  our  dissolution ;  and  not 
only  the  outer,  but  the  inner  conditions  are  extinct  of  all  re- 
ligious action  on  the  world," 

The  next  number  of  "  The  Inquirer  "  contained  a  long 
letter  from  the  Rev.  P.  W.  Clayden,  at  that  time  the  min- 
ister of  the  High  Pavement  Chapel,  Nottingham,  ear- 
nestly appealing  to  Mr.  Martineau  to  act  as  leader  along 
the  path  which  he  had  indicated,  and  assuring  him  that  he 
would  have  "  a  following  neither  feeble  nor  few."  The 
next  week  Mr.  Martineau  replied,  explaining  his  views 
more  fully,  but  not  yet  suggesting  any  definite  action. 
The  more  important  parts  of  this  letter,  which  is  not 
easily  accessible,  must  be  quoted :  — 

"  I  do  indeed  believe  it  '  not  too  late  to  retrace  our  steps  and 
recover  an  honourable,  if  not  distinguished,  position,'  subject, 
however,  to  Mr.  Clayden's  own  proviso,  '  if  we  can  thoroughly 
agree  upon  it  and  all  act  in  agreement.'  And  to  secure  such 
agreement  I  am  ready,  for  one,  to  join  in  any  action,  and  make 
any  sacrifices  of  minor  preferences  that  mutual  deference  may 
require.  In  regard  to  external  relations,  we  stand  at  the  very 
crisis  of  the  world  most  favourable  to  the  action  of  an  undog- 
matic  Church,  —  a  Church  unconditionally  devoted  to  the  pure 
Christian  pieties  and  charities.  .  .  .  The  Church  is  the  So- 

418 


1865]     THE  "FREE   CHRISTIAN   UNION" 

cicty  of  those  who  seek  harmony  with  God;  and  all  who  agree 
on  the  terms  of  that  harmony,  so  as  to  seek  it  in  the  same  way, 
belong  to  the  same  Church.  Whoever  either  omits  what  lies 
within  those  terms,  or  imports  what  lies  beyond  them,  makes, 
so  far,  a  false  copy  of  the  Divine  reality. 

"  Now  the  latter  of  these  errors  (the  error  of  addition), 
orthodox  Christians  commit  quite  naturally,  and  with  the  ex- 
cuse of  unconsciousness.  They  make  doctrinal  conditions 
of  membership,  because,  for  them,  doctrinal  beliefs  are  indis- 
pensable to  acceptance  with  God.  Turning  to  us,  who  are 
without  those  beliefs,  they  consistently  say,  '  We  cannot  own 
you,  for  God  disowns  you.' 

"  But  for  us  to  repeat  this  error  on  others  is  quite  unnatural, 
and  without  the  same  excuse  of  unconsciousness.  Not  the 
most  rigorous  believers  among  us  would  say  that,  for  in- 
stance, Theodore  Parker  and  his  editress  had  forfeited  their 
divine  relations,  or  were  incapable  of  the  noble  pieties  which 
link  all  minds  in  spiritual  sympathy.  In  shutting  out  such 
persons  we  should,  therefore,  have  to  say,  '  You  will  be 
owned  of  God,  but  shall  be  disowned  of  us.'  .  .  . 

"  Whom,  accordingly,  would  I  admit  to  fellowship?  All  who 
seek  harmony  with  God  and  are  content  with  these  terms. 
Whom  would  I  exclude  ?  Absolutely  none ;  leaving  the  door 
for  ever  open,  and  letting  all  exclusion  be  self-exclusion.  .  .  . 

"  What  name  such  a  church  should  assume  is  less  easy  to 
say  than  what  it  should  avoid.  Doctrinal  names  are  from  their 
very  nature  inadmissible;  and  any  atempt  to  expel  the  doc- 
trinal meaning  from  the  word  '  Unitarian,'  and  put  in  some- 
thing else  instead,  would  be  —  without  any  compensating 
success  —  a  logical  and  philological  offence  of  the  highest 
order.  The  word  is  exactly  fitted  for  its  purpose  of  theological 
distinction,  and  cannot  be  spared  from  the  vocabulary  of  opin- 
ion; it  is  wholly  unfitted  for  anything  else  than  theologi- 
cal distinction,  and  cannot  yield  such  service,  however  cruelly 
you  strain  it  on  the  rack.  ...  I  refrain  from  saying  more  on 
this  point,  which  needs  collective  counsel,  rather  than  expres- 
sions of  individual  preference.  Its  difficulties  ought  not  to 
be  insuperable. 

"  *  But  would  such  a  church  be  Christian  ? '  If  by  *  Chris- 
tian '  you  mean  imbued  with  Christ's  spirit,  teaching  his  reli- 
gion, worshipping  his  God  and  Father,  and  accepting  his  law 
of  self-sacrifice,  this  would  be  the  very  essence  of  such  a 
church.  .  .  .  With  an  ever-deepening  attachment  to  histor- 
ical Christianity,  and  distrust  of  philosophical  religion  apart 

419 


PROFESSORSHIP  IN  LONDON       [isss 

from  it,  I  feci  all  the  more  absolute  necessity  of  disengaging 
the  spirit  from  the  letter,  and  of  ceasing  to  prejudge  upon 
sacred  grounds  literary  and  scientific  questions  whose  proper 
evidence  is  critical,  and  must  await  the  verdict  of  the  scholar. 
Depend  upon  it,  the  facts  of  the  universe  will  not  prove  pro- 
fane; and,  could  we  know  all,  we  should  find  in  history  not 
less,  but  more,  of  God  than  we  had  thought. 

"  One  word  more.  It  seems  to  me,  notwithstanding  a  firm 
attachment  to  our  congregational  independence,  that  the  time 
has  come  when  it  needs  to  be  balanced  by  a  stronger  central 
organisation.  *  Independence  '  is  apt,  in  our  smaller  and  re- 
moter congregations,  to  mean  poverty,  desertion,  hopeless- 
ness; and  it  ought  to  be  possible,  without  creating  anything 
like  church  government,  to  provide  better  means  of  church 
help.  In  our  external  relations,  too,  we  need  some  author- 
ised representative  to  speak  for  us,  and  knit  the  ties  of  sym- 
pathy with  like-minded  churches  and  sections  of  churches  in 
other  lands.  The  Unitarian  Association,  to  the  extent  of  its 
means,  has  done  meritoriously  in  both  these  respects ;  and  if 
only  it  would  make  its  basis  and  its  name  as  broad  as  our  old 
foundations  and  real  character,  I,  for  one,  w^ould  willingly 
accept  it,  with  suitable  modifications,  as  our  representative. 
But,  as  it  stands,  a  large  and  influential  portion  of  our  reli- 
gious body  has  never  supported  it,  and  never  will.  ...  If, 
instead  of  planning  disruptions  or  standing  idly  by  till  the 
Church  of  England  shall  enlarge  its  bounds  to  take  us  in, 
we  could  fling  our  dissensions  away,  and  seize  the  field  left 
vacant  for  a  Catholic  Nonconformity,  there  is  room  and  op- 
portunity for  a  Church  of  simple  righteousness,  which  might 
stand  till  its  adversaries  own  it  and  drop  into  it." 

Mr.  Clayden,  believing  that  the  time  for  action  had 
come,  conferred  with  the  Rev.  Edwin  Smith,  then  resi- 
dent in  Nottingham ;  and  between  them  they  wrote  to 
seventy  ministers  of  their  acquaintance,  asking  them  con- 
fidentially to  express  their  feeling  in  regard  to  a  move- 
ment in  the  direction  indicated  in  Mr.  Martineaii's  letter, 
and  stating  their  conviction  that  many  were  "  desirous  of 
having  some  central  representative  body  founded  on  the 
broad  and  unsectarian  basis  on  which  "  their  separate  con- 
gregations rested.     The  response  was  so  favourable  as  to 

420 


1866]     THE  -FREE   CHRISTIAN   UNION" 

"startle"  even  Mr.  Clayden;  and  he  then  wrote  to  Mr. 
Martineau,  informing  him  of  the  facts,  and  explaining 
that  what  had  been  done  w^as  quite  private,  and  in  no  way 
intended  to  compromise  his  liberty  of  action.  Some  of 
the  letters  suggested  a  private  preliminary  conference; 
and  Mr.  Clayden,  accordingly,  offered,  if  Mr,  Martineau 
approved,  to  invite  twenty  or  twenty-five  leading  minis- 
ters to  meet  in  Nottingham,  which  he  regarded  as  neutral 
ground.  After  some  correspondence,  Mr,  Clayden  re- 
newed this  offer  in  a  letter  written  on  the  loth  of  January, 
1866,  He  pointed  out,  however,  that  a  public  exposition 
of  the  facts  was  required,  and  wrote :  "  I  find  many  who 
cannot  see  at  what  practical  and  immediate  purpose  you 
are  aiming,  —  and  when  I  have  stated  as  my  opinion  that 
the  formation  of  a  central  union  on  the  basis  of  our  he- 
reditary freedom  must  be  the  first  outcome  of  the  move- 
ment, they  have  doubted  whether  you  did  not  contemplate 
some  far  larger  scheme.  It  will  be  a  great  gain  to  have  it 
generally  understood  that  this  —  and  only  this  —  is  the 
present  practical  aim."  Notwithstanding  these  question- 
ings, he  added :  "  I  am  sure  that  you  will  find  a  response 
to  any  definite  proposal  you  make  which  will  surprise 
you," 

As  a  result  of  this  preliminary  correspondence,  a  pro- 
longed and  earnest  conference  was  held  privately  at  Not- 
tingham on  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  the  13th  and  14th 
of  March,  It  was  decided  by  a  majority  to  form  a  "  Free 
Christian  Union,"  which  should  serve  as  a  representative 
organ  of  congregations  that  rested  on  a  spiritual,  and  not 
a  dogmatic  basis.  The  difficulties  which  were  felt  by  a 
minority  assumed  two  directions.  It  was  thought  that  a 
representative  organ,  however  broadly  constituted,  would 
practically  emphasise  the  sectarian  separation  of  the  con- 
gregations belonging  to  it  and  tend  to  give  them  an  un- 
favourable view  of  spiritual  life  when  it  appeared  under 

421 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON      [isee 

(U)frmatic  conditions.  Tlie  other  objection  was  that  the 
term  "  Christian "  was  itself  exclusive,  and  associated, 
in  common  understanding,  with  very  definite  dogmas. 
'I'hese  difticulties,  however,  failed  to  convince  the  meet- 
ing; and  Mr.  Clayden  and  Mr.  Edward  Enfield  were  ap- 
pointed secretaries  with  a  view  to  further  action.  The 
first  necessary  step  was  to  deprive  the  British  and  Foreign 
Unitarian  Association  of  its  representative  function,  on 
the  ground  that  being  "  formed  exclusively  for  the  pro- 
motion of  Unitarian  Christianity,"  it  could  not  represent 
congregations  which  inherited  "  a  constitution  free  from 
doctrinal  restriction  " ;  and  before  the  Conference  broke 
up,  a  letter  was  addressed  to  the  Committee  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, giving  notice  of  a  Resolution  to  that  effect,  which 
was  to  be  moved  at  the  forthcoming  Annual  Meeting. 
This  was  forwarded  on  the  i6th  of  March  to  the  Rev. 
R.  B.  Aspland,  the  Secretary  of  the  Association.  The 
proposed  change,  which  might  seem  so  far-reaching,  was 
in  reality  quite  insignificant;  for  the  rule,  permitting 
representation,  had  remained  almost  a  dead  letter.  A 
course  apparently  more  conciliatory  was,  however,  adopted 
at  a  subsequent  meeting.  The  notice  of  motion  was  with- 
drawn, and  Mr.  Tayler  and  Mr.  Aspland  were  requested 
to  move  and  second  a  motion  appointing  a  Committee  to 
consider  how  far  the  Association  could  be  modified,  or  to 
suggest  a  division  of  work  between  two  agencies  that 
should  co-exist  in  friendly  relations  to  each  other,  and  to 
prepare  a  Report  embodying  the  results  of  their  inquiries. 
A  manifesto  from  Mr.  Martineau,  to  prepare  the  way 
for  the  desired  change,  was  published  in  April  in  the 
"Theological  Review,"  with  the  title,  "The  Living  Church 
through  Changing  Creeds."  This  article  explains,  first, 
the  broad  Christian  basis  on  which  most  of  the  congrega- 
tions now  generally  known  as  Unitarian  were  originally 
founded,   and   illustrates   their   catholicity   by   some   inter- 

422 


I856J     THE  "FREE   CHRISTIAN   UNION'' 

esting  quotations.  It  enumerates  as  the  three  principles 
of  their  ecclesiastical  life,  (i)  a  basis  of  union  as  broad 
as  Christianity;  (2)  an  unconditional  refusal  of  special 
doctrinal  names;  (3)  an  openness  to  progressive  change 
in  doctrine,  discipline,  and  worship.  It  then  describes  the 
gradual  growth  of  Unitarianism,  and  the  application  of 
the  Unitarian  name  to  these  broad  foundations.  Refer- 
ring to  the  Unitarian  Association,  it  lays  down  very  clearly 
a  distinction  to  which  Mr.  Martineau  always  adhered. 
He  maintained  that  the  limited  object  of  the  Association, 
**  the  promotion  of  the  principles  of  Unitarian  Christian- 
ity," was  perfectly  legitimate  for  all  individual  persons 
who  held  Unitarian  opinions,  and  for  societies  of  Uni- 
tarian constitution;  that  the  means  by  which  it  was  pur- 
sued were  good;  and  that  the  name  "Unitarian"  was 
exact,  and  should  be  freely  taken  by  Anti-Trinitarians  to 
designate  their  personal  belief.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
could  not  represent  the  old  congregations  with  their  catho- 
lic latitude;  and  it  was  therefore  desirable  that  by  a 
formal  act  it  should  renounce  its  system  of  congregational 
representation.  The  way  being  thus  made  clear,  it  was 
time  to  supply  the  want  of  a  common  organ  "  by  form- 
ing a  Union  on  principles  broad  enough  to  cover  the  whole 
area  of  liberal  Christian  churches,  old  or  new." 

The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Association  was  held  at 
Hackney  on  Wednesday,  the  23d  of  May.  The  proceed- 
ings were  stormy ;  but  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  Mr.  Bache 
failed  to  carry  his  motion,  and  that  the  Special  Committee 
was  appointed.  This  Committee  met  four  times,  and  dis- 
cussed various  plans.  Mr.  Tayler  was  in  favour  of  modi- 
fying the  existing  Association  by  changing  the  name  from 
"  Unitarian "  into  "  Free  Christian,"  and  placing  on  a 
separate  trust  all  funds  expressly  devoted  to  Unitarian 
objects,  Mr.  Thom  thought  the  Association  could  not  be 
so  modified  as  to  meet  all  the  wants  of  liberal  Christians, 

423 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [1867 

and  proposed  a  series  of  propositions,  of  which  the  most 
interesting  are  these  two :  "  That  the  Christian  Church 
consists  of  all  who  desire  to  be  Children  of  God  in  the 
spirit  of  Jesus  Christ  His  Son,"  and  "  that,  therefore,  no 
association  for  the  promotion  of  a  doctrine  which  belongs 
to  controversial  theology  can  represent  the  Church  of 
Christ."  These  several  proposals  were  withdrawn,  and 
the  Committee  recommended  "  the  friendly  co-existence 
of  two  agencies  with  suitable  distribution  of  offices,"  and 
that,  accordingly,  the  Association  should  relinquish  the 
principle  of  congregational  representation.  The  Annual 
IVIeeting,  to  which  the  Report  containing  these  recommen- 
dations was  presented,  was  held  at  Brixton  on  Wednes- 
day, the  1 2th  of  June,  1867.  After  considerable  discussion, 
in  which  Mr.  Martineau  once  more  very  clearly  explained 
his  position,  the  Report  was  adopted;  and  the  ground 
was  now  clear  for  the  formation  of  a  new  society,  which 
should  represent  a  group  of  congregations,  while  the  old 
Association,  being  composed  only  of  individuals  who  ap- 
proved of  its  aims  and  methods,  should  confine  itself  to 
doctrinal   propaganda. 

No  time  was  lost  by  the  promoters  of  the  new  scheme. 
A  meeting  was  held  on  the  following  Friday,  June  14,  at 
four  o'clock,  in  University  Hall,  which  was  summoned 
"  to  consider  the  means  of  forming  a  closer  union  among 
Liberal  Christian  Churches  and  persons  for  the  promotion 
and  application  of  Religion  in  Life,  apart  from  doctrinal 
limitations  in  Thought."  There  was  a  large  attendance 
of  Unitarians,  and  a  few  Independents  also  were  present, 
—  the  Rev.  W.  Kirkus,  of  Hackney,  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Davidson,  late  Professor  in  the  Lancashire  Independent 
College,  and  one  Baptist,  the  Rev.  W.  Miall,  of  Dalston. 
The  chair  was  taken  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Cookson.  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau was  called  upon  to  move  the  first  Resolution,  which 
was  in  these  terms :    "  That  wdiereas  religion  in  its  essence 

424 


1867]     THE  "FREE  CHRISTIAN  UNION" 

is  not  contingent  upon  right  opinion  on  matters  of  history, 
criticism,  or  metaphysics,  and  in  its  application  to  Hfe  has 
become  encumbered  with  a  load  of  superfluous  conditions, 
it  is  incumbent  on  those  who  comprehend  it  all  in  the  two 
great  affections  of  love  to  God  and  love  to  man  to  unite 
their  scattered  forces  both  for  closer  communion  in  work 
and  worship,  and  for  resisting  every  intrusive  interfer- 
ence with  the  intellect  and  conscience  of  men."  In  pro- 
posing this  Resolution,  he  gave  an  account  of  the  movement 
up  to  the  time  of  the  meeting,  and  of  the  object  which  the 
promoters  had  in  view;  and  he  declared  that  they  were 
now  in  a  condition  to  invite  the  co-operation  of  fellow- 
Christians  of  other  denominations,  who  were  of  like  mind, 
and  had  in  fact  lost  no  time  in  asking  for  this  co-operation. 
The  Resolution  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Herbert  New,  and 
supported  by  Mr.  Kirkus.  Mr.  Thom,  while  expressing 
entire  sympathy  with  the  object  in  view,  asked  whether  it 
was  intended  to  establish  a  Catholic  Christian  Church,  or 
a  Catholic  human  Church  of  all  who  loved  God  and  man, 
declaring  his  own  readiness  to  join  either  union.  Mr. 
Martineau  explained  that  the  word  "  Christian  "  was  not 
introduced  into  the  Resolution  because  there  were  so  many 
definitions  of  the  word,  and  it  was  open  to  so  many  ques- 
tions ;  and  if  any  wished  to  join  the  Association  who  were 
not  prepared  to  adopt  Christianity,  he  would  not  shut  the 
door  in  their  faces.  The  Chairman  reminded  the  Meeting 
that  they  had  been  summoned  to  form  a  union  of  "  Liberal 
Christian  Churches " ;  and  after  some  further  conversa- 
tion Mr.  Martineau  agreed  to  amend  his  Resolution  so  as 
to  include  the  word  Christian.  Among  others,  Mr.  J.  J. 
Tayler  spoke  decisively  in  favour  of  defining  the  Union 
as  "  Christian."  A  few  of  the  speakers  believed  that  this 
word  would  necessarily  exclude  some  who  were  otherwise 
quite  in  sympathy  with  the  proposed  Union.  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau "  explained  that  the  Resolution  without  the  word 

425 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [1867 

Christian  said  everything  that  it  cHd  with  the  word,  and 
he  could  not  iinaj^ine  how  anyone  could  assent  to  the  one 
and  yet  withhold  his  assent  from  the  other.  But  he  cared 
more  for  the  essential  religion,  and  thought  it  of  Httle  im- 
portance whether  a  person  was  called  a  Christian  or  not; 
and  if  any  were  alienated  by  the  introduction  of  the  word 
Christian,  they  were  alienated  by  a  word  without  any  dif- 
ference in  the  reality  of  the  thing.  But  he  granted  that 
they  were  bound,  both  by  the  terms  of  the  circular  and  by 
deference  to  friends,  wdiose  co-operation  he  would  not  for- 
feit on  any  account,  to  keep  the  Resolution  as  it  now 
stood.''  ^  The  Resolution  was  finally  carried,  with  two 
dissentients,  in  this  amended  form :  "  That  whereas  the 
Christian  religion  in  its  essential  influence  is  not  contin- 
gent upon  right  opinion  on  matters  of  history,  criticism, 
or  metaphysics,  and  in  its  application  to  life  has  become 
encumbered  with  a  load  of  superfluous  conditions,  it  is 
incumbent  on  those  who  find  its  essence  in  the  two  great 
affections  of  love  to  God  and  love  to  man  to  unite  their 
scattered  forces  both  for  closer  communion  in  work  and 
worship,  and  for  resisting  every  intrusive  interference  with 
the  intellect  and  conscience  of  men."  A  consultative  Com- 
mittee was  then  appointed  to  lay  the  scheme  before  any 
gentlemen  throughout  the  country  who  would  give  it  dis- 
passionate consideration. 

A  pamphlet,  entitled  "  A  Catholic  Christian  Church  the 
Want  of  Our  Time,"  was  published  in  the  autumn  by  the 
Rev.  J.  J.  Tayler.2  This  was  not  avowedly  connected  with 
the  establishment  of  the  Free  Christian  Union,  but  was 
obviously  designed  to  explain  its  principles,  and  recom- 
mend their  practical  adoption.  It  defended  these  prin- 
ciples against  the  two  objections,   that  there  can   be  no 


1  Quoted,  with  a  few  verbal  corrections,  from  the  Report  in  the  "  Unitarian 
Herald"  of  June  28,  1867. 

2  The  preface  is  dated  November  20. 

426 


1857]     THE  "FREE  CHRISTIAN   UNION'* 

effective  Christianity  without  a  definite  dogmatic  creed, 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  that  a  Church  truly  cathohc  ought 
not  to  Hmit  itself  to  Christianity.  It  met  the  latter  by 
pointing  out  the  difficulty  of  including  all  the  great  his- 
torical theisms  in  one  religious  communion.  But,  as  this 
was  not  a  practical  question,  the  argument  failed  to  touch 
the  objection  which  was  actually  felt. 

After  full  consideration  the  Committee  was  prepared  to 
submit  a  scheme  for  the  constitution  of  the  Society,  and  on 
the  2 1  St  of  November  a  meeting  was  held  at  Freemason's 
Tavern,  Queen  Street,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  at  which  the 
Report,  containing  the  Preamble,  and  a  sketch  of  the 
proposed  constitution  and  operations  of  the  Union,  was 
adopted.  The  Report  was  then  printed  and  circulated.  It 
will  be  sufficient  to  quote  the  Preamble,  as  constituting  its 
essential  part :  — 

"  Whereas,  for  ages  past,  Christians  have  been  taught  that 
correct  conceptions  of  Divine  things  are  necessary  to  accept- 
ance with  God,  and  to  religious  relations  with  each  other ; 

"  And,  in  vain  pursuit  of  Orthodoxy,  have  parted  into  rival 
Churches,  and  lost  the  bond  of  common  work  and  love ; 

"  And  whereas,  with  the  progressive  changes  of  thought 
and  feeling,  imiformity  in  doctrinal  opinion  becomes  ever 
more  precarious,  while  moral  and  spiritual  affinities  grow  and 
deepen ; 

"  And  whereas  the  Divine  Will  is  summed  up  by  Jesus 
Christ  Himself  in  Love  to  God  and  Love  to  man ; 

"  And  the  terms  of  pious  union  among  men  should  be  as 
broad  as  those  of  communion  with  God ; 

"  This  Society,  desiring  a  spiritual  fellowship  co-extensive 
with  these  terms,  invites  to  common  action  all  who  deem  men 
responsible,  not  for  the  attainment  of  Divine  truth,  but  only 
for  the  serious  search  of  it ;  and  who  rely,  for  the  religious 
improvement  of  human  life,  on  filial  Piety  and  brotherly 
Charity,  with  or  without  more  particular  agreement  in  mat- 
ters of  doctrinal  theology.  Its  object  is,  by  relieving  the 
Christian  life  from  reliance  on  theological  articles  or  exter- 
nal rites,  to  save  it  from  conflict  with  the  knowledge  and 
conscience  of  mankind,  and  bring  it  back  to  the  essential  con- 
ditions of  harmony  between  God  and  Man." 

427 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON       [ises 

The  Union  was  to  endeavour  to  carry  out  the  purposes 
thus  indicated  mainly  by  pubHcations;  by  bringing  to- 
gether those  who  sympathised  with  its  cathoHc  design;  by 
encouraging  the  formation  of  congregations  free  from 
dogmatic  restrictions,  and  helping  those  already  in  exist- 
ence; and  by  establishing  in  London  a  Central  Church 
for  the  maintenance  of  Christian  worship  and  life  apart 
from  doctrinal  interests  and  names,  and  open  to  the  ser- 
vices of  ministers  occupying  various  ecclesiastical  positions. 

Mr.  Martineau's  views  respecting  the  Union  at  this 
time  are  given  in  the  following  letters  to  the  Rev.  Lewis 
Campbell :  — 

10  Gordon  Street,  London,  W.  C,  Dec.  23,  1867. 

Dear  Sir,  —  ...  A  sermon  of  yours  preached  at  Kreuz- 
nach  which  profoundly  interested  my  daughter,  and  some  ex- 
pressions in  your  admirable  Platonic  notes,  induce  me  to  think 
that  you  may  perhaps  feel  some  interest  in  a  movement,  re- 
cently commenced  for  a  more  catholic  Christian  Union  than 
is  compatible  with  the  constitution  of  any  existing  church  or 
sect ;  and  I  venture  therefore  to  send  you  a  copy  of  the  scheme 
by  Book  Post.  As  a  kind  of  commentary  upon  it,  I  will  also 
send,  if  I  can  lay  my  hand  upon  it,  a  pamphlet  by  my  friend 
and  colleague,  Mr.  Tayler.  At  present  the  movement  meets 
with  sympathy  chiefly  among  liberal  members  of  the  Church  of 
England,  with  whom  I  heartily  wish  that  theological  conviction 
would  allow  me  to  rank  myself.  But  on  the  Committee  are 
Nonconformist  ministers,  —  Independent  and  Baptist,  —  as 
well  as  clergymen.  Unless  some  witness  is  soon  borne  to  the 
possibility  of  separating  the  religious  life,  not  indeed  from 
doctrinal  conviction,  but  from  concurrence  in  doctrinal  con- 
viction, the  spiritual  bonds  of  society  itself  seem  in  danger  of 
dissolution. 

Believe  me,  dear  Sir, 

Yours  very  truly, 

James  Martineau. 

Jan.  9,  1868. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  Whatever  my  regret  at  your  decision,  I 
accept  it  with  unqualified  respect  for  the  considerations  which 
influence  you.     As  it  rests  very  much  on  an  estimate  of  the 

428 


1868]     THE  "FREE  CHRISTIAN  UNION" 

forces  of  liberal  opinion  which  the  Union  may  be  able  to  col- 
lect within  it,  I  cannot  be  surprised  that  you  think  we  have 
not  yet  proved  our  case.  We  have  certainly  very  little  chance 
of  so  wide  an  operation  as  either  to  supersede  the  sects  or  to 
give  serious  alarm  to  the  Church  of  England.  But  short  of 
these  vast  results,  there  seems  to  me,  I  must  confess,  a  pure 
and  reasonable  good  to  be  done,  by  simply  bearing  w^itness, 
in  an  age  of  dissolving  creeds  and  consolidating  ecclesiasti- 
cal pretension,  to  the  ultimate  conditions  of  Christian  com- 
munion in  all  their  breadth  and  depth ;  and  by  the  mere 
spectacle  of  men  drawing  together  to  own  this  communion, 
now  and  then,  across  the  lines  of  their  hereditary  churches. 
Scattered  individuals  may  doubtless  bear  their  testimony,  one 
by  one,  to  all  that  is  noble  and  catholic  in  sentiment;  and 
each  may  thus  work  upon  his  own  church  in  its  interior. 
But  it  is  only  by  new  combinations  that  the  possibility  can  be 
proved  of  religious  union  other  and  larger  than  ecclesiastical 
usage  has  recognised,  and  that  the  vices  of  our  present  reli- 
gious classification  can  be  exposed.  For  this  end  it  surely 
does  not  need  that  the  fresh  organisation  should  be  on  a  scale 
considerable  enough  to  absorb  the  sects  or  bring  compunction 
to  the  National  Church.  A  clear  though  small  sample  em- 
bodying the  conceptions  of  earnest  men,  variously  trained, 
who  could  hardly  be  overlooked  in  any  remodelling  of  reli- 
gious institutions,  could  not  fail,  it  seems  to  me,  to  fling  some 
better  tinge  into  the  future ;  and  this  is  all  that,  in  these  great 
and  slow-paced  changes,  it  is  permitted  us  to  hope.  No  doubt 
the  Church  will  treat  the  movement  as  only  the  experiment  of 
a  new  sect.  In  reference  to  this  objection,  Mr.  Henry  Sidg- 
wick,  of  Cambridge,  wrote  the  other  day  that  the  thing  to  be 
shunned  was,  after  all,  not  a  sect,  but  sectarianism ;  and  that 
perhaps  nothing  was  more  wanted  in  our  age  than  a  sect 
which,  while  true  to  Christian  piety,  should  base  itself  on  the 
repudiation  of  sectarianism,  and  spend  its  efforts  on  eliciting  the 
catholic  elements  of  the  Christian  Religion.  That  some  such 
need  is  widely  felt  is  shown  by  the  formation  of  the  Protes- 
tantenverein  in  Germany,  and  a  similar  association  in  France. 
The  "  Union,"  however,  may  reply  to  the  charge  that  it  dis- 
turbs no  one's  ecclesiastical  relations ;  that  it  proposes  only  to 
bring  into  clearer  consciousness  the  common  elements  of  the 
Christian  life;  and  that  it  desires  existence  only  so  long  as 
these  fail  to  receive  their  just  recognition. 

The  sharp  distinction  which  you  find  in  Mr.  Tayler's  pam- 
phlet between  the  intellectual  and  the  spiritual  I  am  persuaded 

429 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1869 

lie  (litl  not  mean  to  draw.  He  only  thinks  that  while,  to  the 
indirid Kill's  spiritual  life,  definite  intellectual  belief  is  hij:^hly 
important,  it  is  not  essential,  to  the  common  spiritual  life  of 
persons  worshipping  together,  that  there  should  be  the  sort 
of  close  concurrence  in  doctrinal  belief  which  the  symbolical 
books  of  churches  are  intended  to  secure.  In  short,  he  en- 
tirely accepts  your  own  statement,  which  I  read  to  him,  and 
says'  that  his  own  idea  could  not  be  better  expressed. 
Forgive  my  prolixity,  and 

Believe  me  ever, 

Yours  most  truly, 

James  Martineau. 

On  the  26th  of  June,  1868.  a  further  meeting  was  held 
in  Freemasons'  Tavern,  including  not  only  members  of  the 
Union,  but  others  who,  amid  varieties  and  changes  of  doc- 
trinal belief,  desired  to  promote  the  communion  of  a  com- 
mon piety  and  charity.  The  chair  was  taken  by  Mr. 
Goldwin  Smith.  The  constitution  was  settled  in  its  final 
form,  some  amendments  being  introduced  in  order  to  meet 
objections  which  had  been  expressed ;  and  it  was  hoped 
that,  in  consequence  of  these  changes,  there  would  be  a 
considerable  accession  to  the  number  of  members.  The 
hopes  of  the  founders,  however,  were  not  destined  to  be 
realised.  Though  public  interest  was  aroused,  and  able 
men  belonging  to  different  denominations  cordially  wel- 
comed the  endeavour  to  establish  a  wider  and  more  gen- 
erous communion,  objections  were  raised  on  all  sides,  and 
Mr.  Martineau  issued  a  pamphlet  early  in  1869  to  meet 
these  objections,  and  explain  still  further  the  principles  of 
the  new  society.  This  pamphlet,  entitled  "  The  New  Af- 
finities of  Faith :  A  Plea  for  Free  Christian  Union,"  ^ 
begins  by  pointing  out  the  dissolution  of  the  old  theology 
among  thoughtful  men,  ''  It  is  no  longer,"  says  the  writer, 
"  an  insult  to  a  clergyman's  honour,  but  rather  a  compli- 
ment to  his  intelligence,  to  suspect  him  of  saying  one  thing 

^  Reprinted  in  Essays,  II. 


1869]     THE  "FREE   CHRISTIAN   UNION" 

and  believing  another  " ;  and  accordingly  the  time  seemed 
ripe  for  new  reHgious  combinations.  There  were  three 
classes  of  those  who  suffered  from  the  imposition  of  ar- 
ticles of  belief:  those  who  found  the  strain  put  upon  their 
consciences  intolerable,  and  became  exiles  from  all  reli- 
gious association ;  those  who  hoped  for  a  reform  within 
their  own  church ;  and  those  Nonconformist  congrega- 
tions in  which  catholicity  was  the  legal  rule  and  corporate 
principle,  but  which  had  parted  with  their  early  promise, 
and  fixed  themselves  in  a  doctrinal  position.  Here  he  adds 
a  remark,  which  may  perhaps  indicate  one  of  the  secret 
sources  of  failure  in  the  new  Union :  "  Explain  it  as  we 
may,  there  would  seem  to  be  something  transient  and  in- 
capable of  passing  into  institution  in  the  higher  action  of 
God's  Spirit  in  history."  Still  there  were  many,  among 
those  inheriting  the  traditions  of  the  age  of  Milton,  Hale, 
and  Baxter,  who  were  ready  for  a  religious  fellowship  not 
based  upon  doctrinal  conditions,  and  who  might  have  it 
in  their  own  worshipping  society  by  simply  recalling  that 
society  to  its  half- forgotten  catholic  basis.  It  was  the  pur- 
pose of  the  Free  Christian  Union  to  give  this  larger  spirit 
distinct  expression  and  embodiment.  Having  then  quoted 
the  Preamble,  he  proceeds  to  consider  objections.  The 
first  was,  "  That,  while  it  denounces  sects  and  disparages 
doctrine,  it  proposes  to  establish  a  new  sect  upon  a  doc- 
trine of  its  own."  This  he  meets  with  simple  denial, 
accompanied  by  the  necessary  explanations.  The  next  ob- 
jection was  that  the  Union  was  so  wide  that  it  ceased  to  be 
Christian  altogether.  To  this  he  replies  that  the  univer- 
sality is  inherent  in  Christianity,  and  that  if  Jesus  Christ 
were  among  us  now,  he  would  commune  with  such  men 
as  F.  W.  Newman  and  Keshub  Chunder  Sen.  But  then 
came  the  objection  raised  by  Newman  himself,  that  by 
being  Christian  the  Union  excluded  the  non-Christian. 
To  this  he  replies  that  it  is  founded  on  a  misconception, 

431 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1869 

not  of  the  sentiment  and  principle  of  the  movement,  but 
of  its  working  field.  "  The  Union  owns  *  spiritual  fellow- 
ship' with  all  devout  and  faithful  men,  of  whatsoever  fold; 
it  *  invites  them  to  common  action,'  each  on  his  own  ap- 
pointed ground,  be  it  Islam,  Christendom,  Israel,  or  among 
the  Hindoos;  but  its  ozvn  object  is  avowedly  'to  relieve 
the  Christian  life '  from  false  reliances."  This  is  the  gist 
of  the  argument,  which  ought,  however,  to  be  read  at 
length  to  be  fully  appreciated.  It  could  hardly  be  ex- 
pected to  satisfy  Mr.  Newman,  one  of  the  lonely  thinkers 
who  would  gladly  have  entered  into  a  religious  commun- 
ion that  did  no  violence  to  his  intellectual  position.  In 
this  personal  argimient  he  advances  a  plea  which  may  re- 
veal another  source  of  weakness  in  the  society :  "  Mr. 
Newman  thinks  it  an  indispensable  condition  of  a  purer 
religion  to  remove  the  authority  of  Jesus  Christ.  Many 
who  love  and  honour  him  plead  for  the  very  same  religion 
on  the  authority,  or  as  embodied  in  the  life,  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Surely  it  is  in  the  interest  of  their  common  mis- 
sion as  servants  of  divine  Righteousness  and  Love  that  he 
and  they  should  pursue  it  with  characteristic  instruments 
and  separate  tracks."  This  seems  clearly  to  admit  that 
there  are  sentiments  connected  with  religion  which,  with- 
out being  deemed  essential  to  salvation,  may  legitimately 
prevent  united  action ;  and  a  Trinitarian,  while  believing 
in  the  salvability  of  a  Unitarian,  might  say  that  his  own 
belief  in  the  Incarnation  as  the  central  fact  in  the  world's 
history  rendered  impossible  a  union  in  religious  activities. 
Thus  the  Union,  while  theoretically  open  to  all  who  were 
animated  by  the  Christian  spirit,  was  practically  limited 
by  such  theological  doctrines  as  appealed  to  deep  and  far- 
reaching  sentiments.  But  Mr.  Martineau  believed  that  "  a 
total  change  of  judgment,  equivalent  to  a  religious  revo- 
lution," was  actually  taking  place,  and  disposing  to  "spirit- 
ual union  "  those  who  could  never  approach  one  another 

432 


1869]     THE  "FREE  CHRISTIAN   UNION" 

before.  This  was  undoubtedly  true,  but  probably  not  so 
widely  true  as  he  supposed;  and  the  time  had  not  come 
when  an  extensive  fusion  could  take  place  in  immediate 
answer  to  even  the  noblest  appeal. 

The  following  letters  will  further  indicate  Mr.  Mar- 
tineau's  state  of  mind  at  this  time :  — 

TO   MR.   HENRY   SIDGWICK. 

10  Gordon  Street,  W.  C.,  Feb.  2,  1869. 

Dear  Mr.  Sidgwick,  —  I  dare  not  express  to  you  the 
depth  of  my  disappointment  at  the  two  answers  from  Oxford. 

On  the  whole  I  think  it  would  be  better  to  postpone  an 

application  to  Professor  till  another  attempt  has  been 

made  at  Oxford.  .  .  . 

With  regard  to  the  pamphlet,  I  shall  be  truly  obliged  by 
any  hint  you  can  give  me  for  its  improvement.  I  have  al- 
ready profited  by  some  friendly  criticisms,  and  am  perfectly 
ready  to  make  any  alterations  which  do  not  carry  the  text  too 
far  from  what  is  natural  to  me.  And  I  feel  little  doubt  that 
you  will  hit  my  thought  better  than  I  have  done  it  myself.  I 
have  not  read  the  proof  myself  yet,  and  shall  probably  find 
plenty  of  faults,  as  I  do  in  all  my  work. 

10  Gordon  Street,  W.  C.,  Feb.  6,  1869. 

Dear  Mr.  Sidgwick,  —  I  am  sincerely  obliged  by  your 
criticisms,  and  will  briefly  report  how  they  affect  me. 

I  must  have  expressed  myself  ill  in  pp.  20,  21,  for  I  agree 
with  every  word  of  your  criticism  (up  to  the  last  line),  only 
cannot  see  how  it  applies.  I  do  not  at  all  intend  to  imply  that, 
without  Piety,  Charity  is  impossible ;  nor  do  I  advert  in  any 
way  to  the  relation  between  them ;  which  I  conceive  to  be 
precisely  such  as  you  state.  The  relation  which  pp.  20,  21 
discuss  is  a  different  one,  viz.,  that  between  both  affections 
(and  indeed  all  like  affections)  in  their  practical  expression, 
and  the  postulates  of  belief  tacitly  involved  in  them ;  and  my 
position  is  that  in  the  practical  exercise  of  these  affections 
men  will  find  their  way  to  mutual  trust  and  communion,  if 
you  will  let  the  beliefs  play  their  natural  part,  without  at- 
tempting to  reduce  them  to  express  dogma.  In  support  of 
this  position,  I  urge  that  as  moral  and  social  life  go  on  health- 
28  433 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1869 

ilv  ill  the  absence  of  any  definition  of  ultimate  ethical  principles, 
so  may  religious  life  be  left  to  its  own  affinities,  without  need  of 
verbal  statements  of  essentials.  Precisely  because  Worship 
docs  carry  a  postulate  in  it,  that  postulate  is  secured  in  the 
act  itself,  and  does  not  want  the  further  guarantee  of  ex- 
])licit  definition.  Religious  unity  must  be  based,  I  think,  upon 
iitiplicit  and  average  concurrence,  as  opposed  to  explicit  and 
selected  ;  and  be  fostered  by  devout  act  and  affection  in  com- 
mon, rather  than  by  thought.  I  am  convinced  that  the  simplest 
Theistic  definition  would  raise  by  its  terms  scruples  enough 
to  dissipate  the  real  agreement  among  hundreds  of  persons 
who,  without  it,  would  worship  and  work  together  to  the  end 
of  their  days. 

Of  course  it  is  only  to  the  corporate  use  of  dogma  that  I 
object.  For  the  individual  who  can  think  out  his  beliefs  into 
clear  statement,  the  process  may  be  very  important.  .  ,  . 

I  have  tried  to  add  a  little  emphasis  to  the  reasons  on  which 
you  dwell  for  using  the  word  "  Christian,"  all  of  which,  how- 
ever, appear  to  me  to  be  present  in  the  text.  It  is  very  prob- 
able that  my  feeling  may  have  run  away  with  me  in  writing 
on  this  subject,  and  laid  me  open  to  just  criticism.  But,  as  in 
all  the  mixed  products  of  a  faulty  nature,  if  the  tares  are 
plucked  up,  the  wheat  (should  there  be  any)  comes  with 
them ;  so  that  I  must  leave  it  to  my  readers  to  bind  them  in 
bundles  to  burn  them. 

TO   REV.  W.   R.   ALGER. 

10  Gordon  Street,  W.  C,  March  25,  1869. 

AIy  dear  Mr.  Alger,  —  ...  During  the  last  two  years 
I  have  written  and  lectured  more  continuously  and  largely 
than  ever,  I  think,  before.  I  have  just  sent  you  a  pamphlet,  — 
"  The  New  Affinities  of  Faith,"  —  which  will  show  you  some- 
thing of  the  position  of  our  "Free  Christian  Union."  Whether 
we  shall  make  way  against  the  curious  collection  of  resisting 
forces — Christian,  anti-Christian,  Unitarian-Orthodox,  Trini- 
tarian-Orthodox, Broad-Church  conformity,  Independent- 
Nonconformists  —  it  is  hard  to  say ;  but  I  should  not  be 
surprised  if  our  unpretending  beginnings,  which  are  watched 
all  round  with  a  good  deal  of  interest,  should  some  day  open 
out  into  an  unexpected  magnitude  and  significance. 

The  first  Anniversary  Meetings  of  the  Free  Christian 
Union  were  held  in  Freemasons'  Tavern  on  the  evenings 

434 


1870]     THE  "FREE   CHRISTIAN   UNION" 

of  Tuesday  and  Wednesday,  the  ist  and  2d  of  June,  1869. 
On  the  former  of  tliese  evenings  there  was  a  pubHc  reH- 
gious  service,  which  was  attended  by  a  large  congregation 
drawn  together  from  various  sects,  and  in  which  the  de- 
votional part  was  conducted  by  the  Rev,  W.  Miall  of 
Queen's  Road  Chapel,  Dalston,  and  the  Rev.  James  Mar- 
tineau,  and  sermons  were  preached  by  the  Rev.  Athanase 
Coquerel,  of  the  French  Protestant  Church,  and  the  Rev. 
C.  Kegan  Paul,  Vicar  of  Sturminster,  Dorset.  The 
crowded  business  meeting  was  held  on  the  following 
evening,  under  the  chairmanship  of  the  Vice-President, 
Mr,  Henry  Sidgwick.  The  Report  of  the  Committee 
speaks  of  "  a  vast  amount  of  latent  approval,"  but  is 
obliged  to  note,  though  without  surprise,  that  "  with  in- 
creasing evidence  of  extensive  concurrence  in  the  prin- 
ciples "  of  the  Union,  "  they  have  yet  to  wait  for  a 
corresponding  accession  of  open  adhesion,"  and,  "  with 
the  small  resources  at  their  disposal,  they  have  not  been 
able  to  enter  upon  any  of  the  larger  methods  of  action  in- 
dicated in  the  original  scheme."  They  find  their  faith  in 
the  principles  and  aims  of  the  Union  "  confirmed  by  the 
simultaneous  appearance  of  precisely  similar  organisa- 
tions in  France,  in  Switzerland,  in  Holland,  in  Germany, 
from  all  of  which  letters  of  cordial  sympathy  have  spon- 
taneously come."  The  Report  closes  with  a  touching  ref- 
erence to  the  death  of  the  Rev,  J.  J.  Tayler,  which  had 
taken  place  the  previous  Friday. 

To  complete  the  story,  we  must  pass  for  a  moment  be- 
yond the  limits  assigned  to  this  chapter.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  interest  and  apparent  success  of  these  meetings, 
the  Committee  met  with  little  practical  assistance  in  their 
work.  The  next  Annual  Meeting  was  held  in  University 
Hall,  under  the  presidency  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Sadler,  on  Sat- 
urday, the  25th  of  June,  1870.  The  Report  of  the  Com- 
mittee is  marked  by  a  despondent  tone.     The  loss  of  Mr. 

435 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1870 

Tavlcr  "  had  thrown  a  shadow  over  the  Union,  not  merely 
bv  takini,^  away  one  whom  they  all  revered,  but  by  depriv- 
ing them  of  the  counsel  and  aid  which  had  been  of  such 
essential  service  at  every  step  in  its  formation."  Amid 
expressions  of  sympathy,  there  was  a  reluctance  to  work 
for  the  objects  in  view.  Even  a  contemplated  volume  of 
Essays  had  to  be  abandoned,  because  men  of  ability  and 
influence  refused  their  co-operation.  In  these  circum- 
stances Mr.  Martineau  himself  proposed  "  that  in  the 
opinion  of  this  Meeting  it  is  expedient  that  the  Free 
Christian  Union  should  be  dissolved,  and  that  the  Com- 
mittee be  instructed  to  convene  a  Special  General  Meet- 
ing in  accordance  with  the  Constitution  of  the  Union,  for 
the  purpose  of  considering  a  proposal  of  dissolution." 
This  motion  was  carried  unanimously;  and  on  the  8th  of 
December  the  Special  Meeting  was  held  in  University 
Hall,  and  the  Union  dissolved. 

This  abrupt  collapse  of  his  earnest  attempt  to  lift  reli- 
gion out  of  its  sectarian  ruts,  and  make  it  wide  and  free 
as  the  kingdom  of  God,  must  have  brought  keen  disap- 
pointment to  Mr.  Martineau.  Perhaps  he  despaired  too 
soon;  for  a  movement  of  such  magnitude  could  not  be 
reasonably  expected  to  succeed  in  a  year  or  two.  Per- 
haps it  rested  on  too  theoretic  a  basis,  and  was  committed 
to  too  elaborate  a  Preamble,  which  required  a  cautious 
defence  against  attacks  from  opposite  quarters.  Perhaps 
it  sought  to  combine  incompatible  objects,  originating 
in  a  desire  to  lead  back  a  particular  body  of  Chris- 
tians to  their  catholic  traditions,  and  then  addressing  its 
appeal  to  men  of  various  churches  who  had  no  hereditary 
association  with  that  limited  group,  and  but  little  sym- 
pathy with  the  theology  which  they  had  reached.  Be  this 
as  it  may,  we  may  refer  here  to  "  The  Christian  Confer- 
ence," founded  at  a  later  time,  which,  without  a  pro- 
gramme or  a  constitution,  has  brought  together  year  after 

436 


1867]       VIEWS   OF   MR.  GLADSTONE 

year  members  of  various  denominations  for  a  friendly  in- 
terchange of  thought,  which  has  been  presided  over  by 
Cardinal  Manning  and  by  Dr.  Martineau,  and  which  has 
recently  brought  out  a  combined  volume  of  Essays  by 
Churchmen  and  Nonconformists.  When  we  have  said 
that  Dr.  Martineau  was  a  member  of  this  semi-private 
Conference,  we  need  not  further  allude  to  it. 

It  is  now  time  to  gather  up  the  missing  threads  of  the 
last  few  years.  In  1867  he  spent  his  summer  vacation  at 
Plas  Mawr,  Penmaenmawr.  Here  he  had  opportunities 
of  meeting  Mr.  Gladstone,  of  whom  he  gives  the  follow- 
ing account  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  Tayler  of  September  23 :  — 

"  During  Mr.  Gladstone's  stay  here  a  good  deal  of  conver- 
sation took  place,  at  our  occasional  meetings,  on  public  affairs, 
ecclesiastical  as  well  as  civil.  Though  I  have  the  greatest 
confidence  in  the  nobleness  of  his  nnpulses,  I  cannot  help 
wishing  that  he  had  thought  out  into  greater  clearness  the 
momentous  problems  with  which,  in  natural  course,  he  will 
have  to  deal.  I  have  an  impression  that,  for  want  of  this 
clearness  in  his  larger  personal  convictions,  he  is  too  much  at 
the  disposal  of  party  pressures,  or  of  accidental  bits  of  clear- 
ness which  he  gains  on  parts  of  great  subjects.  In  particular, 
I  am  afraid  that  the  old  ecclesiastical  theory  of  the  Church, 
as  Trustee  of  absolute  truth,  clings  to  him  still ;  and  that,  to 
save  it,  while  recognising  the  civil  equality  of  all  faiths  in  a 
nation  like  ours,  he  will  throw  himself  into  voluntaryism, 
rather  than  acquiesce  in  any  Erastian  scheme  of  comprehen- 
sion. Discussing  the  proper  basis  of  Church  Communion, 
he  quoted,  as  '  generous  though  fallacious,'  Robert  Hall's  say- 
ing, that  '  if  a  man  is  good  enough  for  Christ,  he  is  good 
enough  for  me.'  I  told  him  that  the  generosity  of  the  senti- 
ment blinded  me  to  the  fallacy,  and  asked  him  to  find  it  for 
me;  as  I  could  not  see  -who  had  a  right  to  make  conditions 
on  which  God  and  Christ  did  not  insist.  His  reply  was  — 
what  I  have  heard  him  say  more  than  once  before  —  that  we 
might  indeed  have  a  trust  in  God's  uncovenanted  mercies, 
but  must  build  our  institutions  so  as  to  include  all  the  condi- 
tions (among  which  is  a  scheme  of  dogma)  of  his  covenanted 
grace.  I  mention  this,  not  on  account  of  its  inapplicability 
^( which  is  evident),  but  to  show  how  entangled  his  mind  still 

437 


PROFESSORSHIP   IN   LONDON      [ises 

is  with  the  tlieory  of  Divine  dogma  and  method  that  must  not 
be  touched.  Such  a  person  must  keep  his  Church,  and  let  the 
State  connexion  go.  I  should  be  glad  to  be  proved  wrong; 
but  my  fear  is  that,  in  this  as  in  other  things  more  purely 
political,  he  may  drift  into  American  modes  of  thought." 

At  this  time  he  was  feeling  oppressed  by  a  sense  of 
unreality  in  the  use  of  certain  phrases  in  the  volume  of 
"  Common  Prayer  for  Christian  Worship  " ;  and  on  the 
1st  of  January,  1868,  he  submitted  to  Dr.  Sadler  a  list 
of  changes  which  he  desired  to  see  in  any  new  edition. 
Dr.  Sadler's  feeling  did  not  accord  with  his;  and  on  the 
8th  of  January  he  wrote  again,  disclaiming  any  right  to 
press  the  alterations.  In  this  letter  he  explains,  evidently 
in  answer  to  a  query  of  Dr.  Sadler's,  the  reasons  which 
influenced  him.  He  says :  "  The  difference  between  the 
phrases  at  which  I  stumble  and  the  phrase  '  Son  of  God ' 
is  this,  —  that  this  last  is  true  to  me  in  its  own  original 
Scriptural  sense,  and  I  employ  it  without  twist.  The 
former  are  false  to  me  in  their  original  Scriptural  sense, 
and  I  cannot  use  them  without  consciously  perverting 
them  into  a  meaning  of  my  own,  which,  if  carried  into 
the  Scriptures,  deprives  them  of  all  coherence.  In  neither 
case  do  I  care  in  the  least  for  the  *  orthodox '  or  current 
understanding  of  the  phrases.  It  is  the  rule  of  reality, 
not  of  opinion,  against  which  I  fear  to  offend."  Early  in 
the  following  year,  March  3,  he  expresses  an  objection  to 
having  two  editions,  an  altered  and  an  unaltered,  which 
would  "  set  the  differences  side  by  side,  and  put  them  up 
to  public  vote  " ;  and  he  states,  moreover,  that,  if  a  modi- 
fied edition  were  produced  at  all,  he  would  hardly  feel 
content  with  the  limits  under  which  his  proposed  list  of 
alterations  was  formed.  Meanwhile  he  relieved  his 
scruples  by  writing  such  changes  as  he  thought  desirable 
in  his  own  copy  at  Little  Portland  Street  Chapel;  and 
he  says:  "The  difSculty  of  using  the  altered  book  in  a  con- 

438 


X868]         RELIGIOUS   PHRASEOLOGY 

gregation  having  unaltered  copies  is,  I  find,  purely  imag- 
inary.    I  have  had  no  complaints,  and  many  thanks." 

On  the  5th  of  October,  1868,  he  delivered  an  Address 
at  the  opening  of  the  Session  of  Manchester  New  College, 
in  which  he  spoke  "  A  Word  for  Scientific  Theology,"  ^ 
in  opposition  to  unscientific  theologians  on  the  one  hand, 
and  the  scientific  opponents  of  all  theology  on  the  other. 
He  points  out  that,  though  they  had  always  been  in  favour 
of  mixed  education,  the  time  had  not  yet  come  to  dissolve 
the  little  dissenting  Academy,  and  send  its  students  for 
their  theology  to  Oxford  and  Cambridge;  for  the  Divinity 
Faculties  of  these  Universities  had  "  to  teach  up  to  certain 
predetermined  results,"  or,  in  other  words,  they  were  there 
"  not  to  educate,  but  to  arrest  education,"  The  Professors 
in  the  Academy  were  to  teach  whatever  they  found  to  be 
true,  "  to  conduct  the  student  to  the  present  limits  of  the 
known  and  exercise  him  in  the  method  of  advancing  them 
into  the  unknown."  No  pledges,  actual  or  implied,  were 
"  asked  from  the  Professors,  except  for  the  faithful  devo- 
tion of  their  faculties,  in  the  respective  provinces  assigned 
them,  to  the  search  and  communication  of  truth."  But 
this  aim  was  little  appreciated,  because  the  English  mind 
was  "  vitiated  through  and  through  by  the  identification 
of  religion  with  partizan  opinions."  In  the  second  part 
of  the  Address  he  deals  philosophically  with  scientific 
negation,  founding  his  remarks  on  the  Address  of  Sir 
Joseph  D.  Hooker,  the  President  of  the  British  Associa- 
tion, recently  delivered  at  Norwich.  It  is  only  just  to 
mention  that  in  a  subsequent  correspondence  Sir  Joseph 
Hooker  declares  that  his  views  were  misunderstood.  Mr. 
Martineau,  while  thinking  that  the  words  were  open  to  the 
construction  put  upon  them,  accepted  the  disclaimer  as  an 
all-sufficient  proof  that  he  had  incorrectly  interpreted  their 
meaning,  and  expressed  his  great  regret  for  the  involun- 

1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

439 


PROFESSORSHIP    IN    LONDON     [1869 

tary  misapprehension.  It  is  the  more  important  to  notice 
this  because,  owing  probably  to  a  forgetfulness  of  the  cor- 
rcsi)on(lence,  the  incriminated  passages  in  Mr.  Martineau's 
criticism  are  reprinted  without  a  note  in  the  collected 
Essays,  and  no  one  would  regret  more  than  the  writer 
himself  that,  through  any  misunderstanding  of  his,  a 
permanent  injustice  should  be  done  to  the  distinguished 
botanist. 

In  1869  we  hear  for  the  first  time  of  the  Aletaphysical 
Society,  which  brought  Mr.  Martineau  into  friendly  con- 
tact with  distinguished  men  belonging  to  widely  different 
Philosophical  and  Theological  schools.  An  account  of  its 
origin  will  be  found  in  a  letter  to  Mr.  R.  C.  Hall,  of 
March  24,  printed  at  the  end  of  the  chapter. 

On  the  19th  of  May  he  preached  in  Unity  Church,  Is- 
lington, at  the  Anniversary  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Unitarian  Association.  He  chose  for  his  subject  "  Three 
Stages  of  Unitarian  Theology,"  ^  The  sermon  is  largely 
philosophical,  and  does  not  easily  lend  itself  to  compres- 
sion ;  but  its  general  trend  may  be  briefly  indicated.  It 
traces  Unitarianism  to  the  clearing  and  defining  of  the 
idea  of  personality,  and  finds  the  strength  of  Unitarian 
faith  in  "  the  impregnable  centre  of  all  true  religious  and 
moral  theory,  —  that,  for  all  spiritual  natures.  Unity  and 
Personality  are  one."  The  three  stages  of  this  form  of 
theology  are  presented  as  Priestley's  necessarian  type  of 
doctrine,  Channing's  proclamation  of  moral  freedom,  and 
a  combination  of  whatever  truth  these  opposing  systems 
contain,  in  a  religion  of  the  spirit. 

And  now  a  deep  sorrow  was  at  hand.  His  beloved 
friend,  Mr.  Tayler,  the  Principal  of  Manchester  New  Col- 
lege, died  on  the  28th  of  IMay.  The  previous  year  Mr. 
Tayler  had  journeyed  into  Transylvania  to  attend  the  Ter- 


1  Reprinted  in  Essays,  IV. 

440 


1869]  DEATH   OF   MR.  TAYLER 

centenary  of  the  Unitarian  Church.  The  fatigue  proved 
too  great  for  his  limited  strength,  and  brought  back  an 
internal  disease  from  which  he  had  suffered  some  years 
before,  and  which  now  proved  fatal.  This  event  threw  a 
shade  of  sadness  over  the  meetings  of  the  Free  Christian 
Union ;  and  on  the  day  succeeding  these  meetings  a  sor- 
rowful group  of  friends  and  pupils  assembled  in  Highgate 
Cemetery  to  commit  his  body  to  the  ground,  while  hold- 
ing his  memory  in  lasting  reverence  and  affection,  and 
with  trustful  faith  following  his  saintly  spirit  into  a 
brighter  world.  Mr.  Martineau,  notwithstanding  his 
quick  and  sensitive  emotions,  had  the  strength  of  manly 
self-control  in  a  remarkable  degree,  and  it  was  only  on 
the  rarest  occasions  that  he  did  not  seem  to  be  complete 
master  of  his  feelings.  But  sorrow  may  have  sunk  all  the 
more  deeply  into  his  heart ;  and  "  a  certain  loneliness  of 
spirit,"  which  had  followed  him  from  childhood,^  would 
render  more  painful  the  absence  of  a  companion  on  whom 
he  had  been  accustomed  to  lean  for  counsel  and  sympathy. 
The  reverence  directed  towards  himself  by  young  col- 
leagues could  never  replace  his  own  reverence  and  love  for 
the  mature  and  trusted  wisdom  of  the  friend  who  was  gone. 
In  a  letter  to  Mrs.  T.  Smith  Osier,  Mr.  Tayler's  daughter, 
written  on  June  8,  1878,  he  says:  "  Prolonged  years  have 
brought  me  many  new  friendships ;  I  am  grateful  for 
them  and  rejoice  in  them.  But  nothing  can  compare  with 
the  love  and  reverence  that  bound  me  to  your  father  and 
can  never  cease  to  make  everything  precious  to  me  that 
recalls  his  image." 


^  Referred  to  in  a  letter  to  Alger,  Sept.  24,  1S66. 


441 


LETTERS,   1 857-1 870 


LETTERS,  1857-1870 

TO   REV.  W.    R.   ALGER. 

10  Gordon  Street,  Gordon  Square,  London,  W.  C, 
March  17,  1858. 

I  do  not  believe  I  ever  answered  a  question  put  to  me  in 
one  of  your  last  year's  letters,  as  to  the  authorship  of  a  paper 
in  the  **  National  "  on  Baur's  theory  respecting  the  Gospels, 
especially  the  Fourth  Gospel.  The  article  is  not  mine,  but  my 
friend's,  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton,  of  whose  productions  I  not  un- 
frequently  get  the  credit.  He  is  a  former  pupil  of  mine,  but 
is  one  of  those  deep,  fresh,  conscientious,  and  devout  thinkers, 
to  whom  external  influence  and  instruction  only  present  the 
occasion  and  commencement  of  a  noble  and  independent  in- 
ward life.  On  the  particular  question  so  very  ably  discussed 
in  the  article  on  Baur,  I  find  myself  unable  to  agree  with  him ; 
and  I  think  he  has  (with  Maurice,  who  has  great  weight  with 
him)  allowed  his  sympathy  with  the  spirit  and  doctrine  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel,  —  a  sympathy  which  I  intensely  share,  —  to 
aflfect  unduly  his  judgment  on  the  historical  and  critical  evi- 
dence of  the  book's  date  and  origin.  It  is  a  great  benefit, 
however,  to  have  the  affirmative  case  so  admirably  worked 
up  and  exhausted  as  it  is  in  his  paper. 

You  will  perhaps  have  observed  that  the  fermentation  occa- 
sioned by  our  collegiate  changes  has  not  altogether  subsided. 
I  am  happy  to  say,  however,  that  the  absurd  personal  censor- 
ship to  which  I  have  been  exposed,  though  encouraged  by  the 
Editors  of  both  the  "  Reformer  "  and  the  "  Inquirer,"  is  con- 
fined to  a  very  small  section,  and  produces  no  impression. 
Indeed  it  has  materially  aided  the  determination  of  the  crisis 
in  the  liberal  direction;  honourable  and  high-minded  men,  be 
their  opinions  "  old  "  or  "  new,"  refusing  to  lend  themselves 
to  any  personal  injustice.  No  doubt  a  good  deal  of  the  bitter- 
ness that  has  come  out  is  the  result  of  a  kind  of  theological 
desperation,  on  the  part  of  men  who  do  not  study,  and  are 
panic-struck  to  find  the  world  breaking  away  from  their  hold- 
fasts, and  moving  they  know  not  whither.  Those  who  cannot 
enlarge  their  idea  of  "  Revelation,"  —  of  "  Inspiration,"  —  of 
the  whole  relation  of  God  to  Human  Nature  and  Human  His- 
tory, —  but  who  stick  by  the  rigid  formulas  of  Judaism,  — 
"  the  chosen  people,"  "  the  predicted  Messiah,"  the  external 

442 


TO   REV.  W.  R.  ALGER 

"  credentials,"  the  documentary  "  message,"  the  authoritative 
"Canon,"  the  "sole  rule  of  faith  and  practice,"  —  must  in- 
evitably be  alarmed  at  the  inroads  made  on  all  sides  by  criti- 
cism, philosophy,  and  ethnology  on  the  exclusive  claims  with 
which  they  have  unhappily  identified  their  religion.  Surely 
we  are  passing  through  all  this,  with  sensible  approximation, 
to  a  higher  conception  of  Christ  and  Christianity  than  has 
hitherto  been  found  in  either  the  Catholic  or  the  Protestant 
world.  Whether  our  Unitarian  churches  will  have  faith, 
knowledge,  love  enough  to  give  it  welcome  and  life  with 
them,  remains  far  from  clear. 

We  watch  your  Kansas  question  with  great  sympathy  and 
anxiety,  and  note  every  move  it  makes.  The  dreadful  op- 
pression of  despotism  in  Europe  renders  precious  every  corner 
of  the  world  where  one's  brethren  are  struggling  for  just 
rights.  It  appears  as  though  some  great  and  terrible  Euro- 
pean movement  miist  be  near;  it  cannot  be  that  this  incubus, 
political  and  ecclesiastical,  is  to  smother  out  the  life  of  a  civi- 
lisation so  elaborately  wrought.  Perhaps  the  sufferings  of 
another  revolutionary  time  may  be  needed  to  reanimate  the 
languid  soul  of  faith  and  arrest  the  decay  of  morals  (which, 
I  understand,  is  truly  fearful  in  France  under  the  present 
regime). 

Oct.  21,  1859. 

The  chapter  of  your  forthcoming  book  is  only  too  tantalis- 
ing, and  I  shall  say  nothing  about  it  till  it  gets  into  its  proper 
place ;  except  that  so  clear  and  graceful  a  summary  of  the 
grounds  of  human  faith  fills  one  with  hopeful  expectation  of 
the  attendant  history.  Yet  to  me  there  is  always  something 
sad  in  every  close  critical  survey  of  the  actual  religious  be- 
liefs of  mankind,  and  in  every  attempt  to  state  their  grounds. 
Compared  with  one's  own  sense  of  those  Infinite  Realities  and 
one's  absolute  assurance  of  them,  the  mythologic  symbols  seem 
so  poor  and  the  philosophical  grounds  so  little  adequate,  that 
one  seems  to  be  drawn  into  partnership  with  a  pathetic  failure ; 
and  it  takes  a  little  time  to  recover  from  the  shock  and  let  the 
native  springs  of  faith  resume  their  play  in  those  depths  of 
consciousness  which  are  beyond  our  reach  and  interpretation. 
Instead  of  saying  with  Plato's  Roman  critic,  that  whilst  the 
argument  goes  on,  I  am  persuaded,  but  when  it  is  passed,  re- 
lapse into  my  doubts,  I  rather  feel  that  the  Divine  thing  is 
certain  until  we  begin  to  prove  it;  and  find  myself  saying 
"  Amen  "  to  the  faith,  yet  picking  holes  in  the  dialectic. 

443 


LETTERS,   1857-1870 

Lest  I  should  heedlessly  become  a  receiver  of  stolen  goods, 
I  must  correct  the  impression  which  I  think  you  have,  in 
common  with  many  friends,  that  the  article  in  the  last  "  Na- 
tional "  but  one  on  Maurice's  reply  to  Mansel  is  mine.  It  is 
by  my  friend  and  pupil  Mr.  R.  H.  Hutton,  who,  with  his 
brother,  J.  H.  Hutton,  has  adopted  a  belief  in  the  eternal  Per- 
sonality of  the  Son,  under  the  influence  so  extensive  and  deep 
among  the  best  of  our  younger  generation,  of  Mr.  Maurice's 
writings.  Where  this  influence  operates  on  the  common  no- 
tional orthodoxy,  it  is  a  pure  good ;  and  if  it  were  the  only 
channel  through  which  the  consciousness  could  come  of  a 
present  Divine  Life  in  our  humanity,  it  would  be  no  less  good 
as  a  change  on  our  prevailing  Unitarianism.  But  to  a  mind 
like  Mr.  R.  Mutton's  —  of  vastly  more  reach  and  independence 
than  Mr.  Maurice's  —  this  consciousness  I  should  have  ex- 
pected to  be  quite  accessible  and  susceptible  of  interpretation, 
without  falling  back  on  the  old  Alexandrine  mythology  of 
the  eternal  Sonship.  However,  he  is  a  noble-souled  and  great- 
thonghted  man,  —  only  with  a  little  overbalance  on  the  side 
of  mystical  sentiment. 

What  you  report  of  Mr.  Walker's  friendly  words  and  the 
Harvard  intentions  cannot  fail  to  gratify  me  deeply,  whilst  it 
humbles  me  with  the  feeling  how  little  I  deserve  such  gener- 
ous appreciation.  Perhaps  it  is  no  sin  to  set  off  such  things 
against  the  corresponding  excesses  of  buflfeting  and  kicks 
one  gets  at  home,  and,  whilst  they  balance  one  another,  sit 
and  work  in  peace. 

TO   REV.  ORVILLE   DEWEY. 

10  Gordon  Street,  London.^ 
Our  waning  Natural  Theology  stands  greatly  in  need  of 
such  healthy  renewal  of  its  force  as  your  strong  and  lucid 
thought  would  give.  Between  the  pantheism  of  poetical 
minds  and  the  atheism  of  scientific,  our  simple  faith  in  the 
Living  God  is  driven,  by  the  intellectual  spirit  of  the  age, 
into  a  despised  corner,  shunned  alike  by  the  reputed  thinkers 
and  ordinary  worshippers  of  our  day,  but  still  to  some  few  of 
us  serving  for  philosophy  and  sanctuary  at  once.  There  is 
something  strange  in  the  mutations  of  belief;    they  seem  to 


I  In  this  letter,  a  bit  has  been  cut  out,  containing  the  signature  and  the 
date,  and  some  other  words,  which  in  the  copy  are  filled  in  by  conjecture.  The 
year  is  1866. 

AAA 


TO   MR.  R.  C.  HALL  ' 

come  and  go,  not  by  rules  of  reason,  but  by  seasonal  fits  of 
mental  temperament  and  humour.  It  is  said  nowadays  that 
theism  belongs  only  to  a  little  universe,  and  that  with  the  ex- 
tension of  the  Kosmos  in  space  and  time,  the  idea  of  Personal 
Causation  must  disappear.  To  me  the  dictum  itself  appears 
absolutely  unmeaning  and  arbitrary ;  nor  can  I  see  in  what 
way  the  scale  of  a  phenomenon  affects  the  spirituality  of  its 
cause.  It  is  as  conceivable  to  me  that  a  Will  should  make  a 
solar  system  as  that  it  should  make  a  dewdrop;  or  a  forest, 
as  that  it  should  make  a  tree.  But  how  is  it  that  this  fancied 
discovery  —  of  the  incompatibility  of  Immensity  with  Person- 
ality—  has  first  dawned  on  this  generation?  for,  whatever 
may  be  said  of  the  geological  extension  of  time  (which,  how- 
ever, has  long  ceased  to  be  a  novelty),  the  unlimited  range  of 
the  sidereal  universe  has  been  familiar  to  the  imagination  of 
the  last  century  and  more,  without  disturbance  to  its  Natural 
Theology.  The  more  I  study  the  peculiarities  of  the  simply 
scientific  intellect,  and  the  grounds  for  its  favourite  dicta,  the 
less  favourably  do  I  think  of  its  philosophical  depth  and 
breadth,  and  the  more  does  it  seem  to  me  to  be  at  the  mercy 
of  a  mere  narrowness  in  its  verbal  formulas  and  stereotyped 
conceptions.  For  a  while  these  causes  will,  I  fear,  darken 
religion  as  well  as  philosophy ;  but  the  cloud  must  pass,  and 
the  Divine  and  Human  Spirit  find  each  other  out  again. 


TO   MR.   R.  C.   HALL. 

lo  Gordon  Street,  W.  C,  March  24,  1869. 

You  are  the  first  man  I  have  met  with  in  the  younger  gen- 
eration who  knows  Godwin's  "  St.  Leon,"  —  a  book  which 
I  have  not  seen  for  forty  years,  and  which  I  have  forgotten, 
as  I  forget  all  novels,  but  which  I  used  to  think  very  power- 
ful. I  remember  Godwin  in  his  old  age;  and  how  I  used  to 
feel  a  kind  of  sorrow  for  him  that  he  had  committed  himself 
to  failure  by  his  answer  to  Malthus.  All  his  books,  however, 
are  interesting  as  studies  of  character.  And  this  reminds  me 
of  your  Emersonian  rule,  —  never  to  have  a  book  you  do  not 
like.  There  are  so  many  ways,  as  well  as  degrees,  of  liking 
a  book,  that  I  should  be  at  a  loss  how  to  apply  the  rule.  I 
like  a  book  that 's  good  to  answer  from  the  clearness  and 
strength  with  which  it  puts  what  I  utterly  reject  (like  Mills's 
"  Hamilton  "),  or  a  book  that 's  good  to  laugh  at,  from  its  logi- 
cally deduced  nonsense  (like  Comte's  "  Catechisme  "),  almost 

445 


LETTERS,   1 857-1 870 

as  well  as  a  book  which  speaks  home  to  myself.  What 
indeed  would  be  the  plight  of  a  man  obliged,  like  me,  to 
have  a  theological  library,  if  he  were  insensible  to  the  charms 
of  fallacy  and  twaddle?  You  will  not  persuade  me,  therefore, 
to  clear  the  rubbish  off  my  shelves.  Every  genus  should  be 
represented  in  a  library ;  and,  most  of  all,  the  largest  class,  — 
as  such  a  radical  as  you  must  surely  admit.  Though  not  a 
disciple  of  Mills's  philosophy,  I  much  regret  his  absence  from 
Parliament;  both  because  he  often  threw  invaluable  light 
upon  obscure  problems,  and  because  it  is  good  to  have  the 
most  effective  possible  expositions  of  every  doctrine  and  pro- 
ject, whether  approvable  or  not.  He  is  living  at  Avignon; 
where,  I  hear,  he  has  constructed  a  wonderful  mausoleum 
with  grounds  around  it,  to  the  memory  of  his  wife ;  and  pays 
a  kind  of  religious  homage  to  her,  like  that  of  Comte  to  the 
dried  arms  of  his  M.  Clotilde  de  Vaux.  How  curiously  the 
religious  tendency,  drained  off  in  one  direction,  finds  an  un- 
dercourse,  and  breaks  out  at  unexpected  points !  There  is  a 
project  on  foot  here,  which  I  think  you  will  regard  as  a  re- 
markable sign  of  the  times,  for  forming  a  Metaphysical  So- 
ciety, devoted  especially  to  the  discussion  of  the  ultimate 
principles  of  intellectual,  moral,  and  religious  belief.  Tenny- 
son suggested  it  and  joins  it ;  and  Browning,  Archbishop 
Manning,  Stanley,  Maurice,  Sir  J.  Lubbock,  Ward  (Editor 
of  the  "  Dublin  Review  "),  R.  H.  Hutton,  and  I  are  enrolled; 
and  probably  the  Archbishop  of  York,  Mansel,  and  the  Duke 
of  Argyll,  who,  it  is  hoped,  will,  next  month,  preside  at  a 
dinner  arranged  for  constituting  the  Society.  Was  there  ever 
such  an  extraordinary  mixture  of  people?  And  apparently 
one  chief  inducement  to  join  has  been  in  almost  every  case 
the  desire  to  meet  men  of  opposite  ways  of  thinking.  I  do 
not  know  whether  the  project  will  really  prove  feasible;  but 
it  has  certainly  a  look  of  promise.  Mill  is  asked  to  join ;  and 
so  are  Bain  and  Tyndall ;  but  I  do  not  know  their  answer.  I 
would  not  join,  but  on  condition  of  their  school  being  dis- 
tinctly asked. 

TO   MR.  A.  J.   MOTT. 

10  Gordon  Street,  W.  C,  Nov.  8,  1S68. 
I  had  hoped  that,  in  acknowledging  your  kind  presentation, 
I  might  be  able  to  say  that  I  had  read  your  little  volume,* 

1  "  A  Man's  Belief.     An  Essay  on  the  Facts  of  Religious  Knowledge,"  1868, 
published  anonymously  by  Williams  &  Norgate. 

446     • 


TO  A   FRIEND 

and  to  compare  notes  with  you  on  the  great  topics  which, 
as  a  partial  reading  already  shows,  it  so  thoughtfully  discusses. 
But,  being  now  thrown  upon  a  week  especially  crowded  with 
occupation,  I  must  content  myself  with  the  tender  of  my 
thanks.  Heartily  do  I  wish  that  reflecting  laymen,  who  con- 
scientiously qualify  themselves  to  form  reasonable  judg- 
ments on  religious  questions,  would  oftener  give  expression, 
as  you  have  done,  to  the  conclusions  at  which  they  arrive,  and 
the  processes  of  thought  by  which  they  reach  these.  The 
silence  and  indifference  with  which  these  matters  are  dis- 
missed to  the  care  of  professional  theologians  are  in  the  high- 
est degree  mischievous  and  disheartening.  I  like  exceedingly 
the  mode  in  which  you  approach  and  take  up  Christianity,  — 
dealing  with  it  in  its  realised  form  as  a  long-tried  fact  in  the 
world,  and  comparing  it  in  its  moral  results  on  civilisation 
with  the  other  great  religions  of  the  world ;  instead  of  tying 
it  up  to  any  of  the  distinctive  creeds,  whether  of  the  first  age 
or  of  any  other.  I  am  convinced  that,  in  no  other  way  can 
the  essential  characteristics  be  reached  of  that  marvellous 
spiritual  influence  which  has  flowed  from  the  personality  and 
life  of  Christ.  The  religion  is  seen  better  in  the  Christianity 
of  the  latest  age  than  in  that  of  the  first. 

TO   A   FRIEND. 

10  Gordon  Street,  W.  C,  Nov.  7,  1868. 

Dear  Mrs.  ,  —  It  is  natural  that  those  who  suffer  in 

your  suffering  should  fly  in  the  eagerness  of  love  to  even 
the  faintest  and  least  hopeful  promise  of  inward  or  outward 

relief;   and  so  I  am  encouraged  by  Mr,  to  give  way  to 

my  own  profound  sympathy  in  a  few  words;  though  I  know 
I  can  say  nothing,  on  the  deeper  relations  of  your  grievous 
trial,  which  has  not  grown  familiar  to  you  in  the  long  watches 
of  thought,  and  perhaps,  with  the  special  insight  of  the  suf- 
fering mind,  been  found  empty  and  unreal.  Yet,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  intense  experiences  of  life,  if  they  bring  flashes  of 
clear  truth,  are  liable  also  to  shut  us  in  amid  clouds  that  hide 
or  distort  the  real  proportions  of  things  and  imprison  us  in 
a  world  of  their  own ;  so  that  we  lose  our  proper  stay,  unless 
in  poignant  moments  we  can  rest  on  the  faith  of  happier  and 
calmer  hours.  It  is  from  the  mutual  conference  of  those  who 
are  withdrawn  to  suffer  and  those  who  are  left  out  to  act, 
that  the  pure  wisdom  and  complete  interpretation  of  life  must 
come.     Even  then,  when  you  to  whom  the  anguish  falls,  and 

447 


LETTERS,   1857-1870 

wc  on  whom  it  is  reflected,  have  told  and  compared  our  best 
thought,  it  all  resolves  itself,  does  it  not?  into  simple  trust 
and  love.  "  Though  he  slay  me,  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him." 
At  least  when  I  ask  myself  zvhy  this  crushing  inroad  upon 
the  sweetest,  purest,  most  satisfying  form  of  human  life? 
I  am  lost  in  the  darkness,  and  dare  not  pretend  to  see  my 
way.  But  the  less  I  can  reach  the  Divine  point  of  view,  the 
more  quietly  do  I  subside  upon  the  human,  and,  in  spite  of  ap- 
pearances or  in  impenetrable  gloom,  give  my  hand,  like  a  child 
in  the  night,  to  be  led  by  tlie  All-seeing  Father,  hither  or 
thither  as  He  will.  This  is  not  the  blindness  of  mere  unthink- 
ing faith,  rather  is  it  the  large  willingness  to  sink  the  personal 
point  of  vision,  —  even  at  its  fiercest  intensity,  —  in  judging 
of  the  Infinite,  within  whose  compass  I  lie,  and  of  whose  good- 
ness not  my  privation,  but  the  plenitude  of  the  whole,  is  the 
true  measure.  Were  we  able  to  see  the  purpose  of  our  sor- 
rows, as  we  do  that  of  some  surgical  treatment,  the  state  of 
mind  with  which  we  meet  them  would  surely  be  unspeakably 
lowered ;  prudent  and  rational  endurance  for  the  sake  of 
ulterior  advantage  would  take  the  place  of  that  confiding 
piety  and  utter  self-surrender,  which,  the  more  it  bleeds,  the 
more  gives  out  the  hues  of  every  tender  and  great  affection. 
Alas !  dear  friend,  that  the  lot  of  sacrifice  should  have  fallen 
to  you !  But  what  should  we  be  without  the  biographies  of 
noble  suffering?  Is  there  anything  so  purifying  in  its  search 
of  us,  —  that  sinks  the  self  so  low  and  lifts  the  soul  so  high,  — 
as  the  sight  of  pain  and  grief  divinely  borne?  I  declare  to 
you,  the  instances  I  have  seen  or  known  of  such  lives,  —  in- 
cluding yours,  —  haunt  me  as  a  perpetual  presence,  and  min- 
gle tender  and  sacred  undertones  with  the  superficial  voices 
of  daily  duty  and  of  natural  joy.  That  the  chords  which  give 
forth  such  music  for  humanity  should  thrill  with  anguish  in 
the  striking  is  indeed  a  pathetic  necessity ;  but  the  very  pity 
of  it,  burning  down  into  the  heart  of  us,  comes  in  contact 
with  all  the  love  and  reverence  we  have,  and  kindles  them 
into  an  enveloping  passion.  The  really  perplexing  cases  are 
those  in  which  suffering  seems  to  spread  in  circles  of  moral 
deterioration  in  the  minds  of  patient  and  of  observers ;  not 
those  in  which  it  deepens,  refines,  and  strengthens,  and  like 
the  lightning,  while  it  blasts  a  single  tree,  quickens  the  whole 
forest  into  green.  I  cannot  but  have  faith  that  your  children, 
however  sadly  bereft  of  your  personal  care,  will  be  educated 
by  your  image  and  memory  to  a  form  and  stature  of  charac- 
ter which  no  days  of  happy  care  could  give.     But  this  is  a 

448 


TO   A  FRIEND 

thought  which  comes  too  near  to  finding  reasons;  and  I  dare 
not  pretend  to  them ;  but  rest  simply  here ;  —  that  if  only 
we  can  give  ourselves  up  in  trust,  and  the  more  we  are  stricken 
by  the  hand,  fly  the  more  closely  for  refuge  to  the  heart,  of 
the  All-loving  God,  there  is  no  pain  or  terror  which  will  not 
work  itself  clear  out  of  the  cloud  into  higher  glory.  I  do 
not  forget  how  often  the  problem  of  suffering  is  solved  by 
saying  that  we  have  to  bear  it  as  the  penalty  of  sin;  but  no 
personal  appropriation  of  this  thought  can  reasonably  be  made 
by  innocent  and  dutiful  lives,  though  doubtless,  in  an  indirect 
and  circuitous  way,  it  hits  a  truth.  Certainly  the  physical 
condition  of  us  all  carries  in  it  the  entail  of  a  long  past,  and 
is,  as  it  were,  the  vital  record  of  moral  order  or  disorder  both 
in  earlier  generations  and  in  ourselves.  Had  all  been  invari- 
ably right  there,  many  a  transmitted  weakness  would  have  been 
spared,  and  from  faultless  antecedents  would  have  come  to 
us  a  more  painless  life.  And  when  we  rise  to  a  perfect  admin- 
istration of  our  human  trust,  its  natural  functions,  we  must 
believe,  will  gain  comparative  immunity  from  their  present 
terrible  liabilities.  So  far,  it  must  be  owned,  we  suffer  as 
members  of  a  moral  organism,  —  of  a  united  family,  —  where 
the  sin,  and  even  the  mistake,  of  each  becomes  the  sorrow  of 
all.  But,  except  when  we  smart  from  the  effects  of  our  own 
personal  transgression,  this  truth  seems  empty  of  any  immedi- 
ate lesson,  either  of  comfort  or  of  self-reproach,  to  our  hours  of 
pain.  What  can  we  do  with  the  sins  of  our  fathers,  or  with  our 
own  that  are  left  behind,  except  take  care  not  to  repeat  them? 
and  this  is  a  lesson  rather  for  action  than  for  endurance.  It 
only  compels  me  to  feel, — what  is  no  doubt  wholesome  when  I 
am  calm  enough  to  think  of  it, — that  I  am  not  all  my  own,  but 
am  woven  into  a  social  texture,  where,  in  every  fibre  of  my  be- 
ing, I  must  give  and  take  of  the  life  that  passes  through  the 
whole.  Seven  years,  dear  friend,  if  I  mistake  not,  you  have 
been  laid  low,  and  passing  through  what  none  can  tell.  Even 
to  our  outside  reckoning  it  is  a  large  segment  from  our  little 
round  of  time ;  and  from  the  interior,  the  hours  of  suffering 
seem  endless,  —  a  weary  and  waste  eternity.  Well,  the  more 
they  use  up  of  this  life  the  more  do  they  bespeak  another; 
and  by  breaking  off  our  promise  so  near  its  beginning,  re- 
serve the  more  for  its  heavenly  end.  You  know  how  little 
you  have  exhausted  the  capacities  of  your  nature ;  at  what  a 
stage  of  growing  thirst  —  in  thought,  affection,  aspiration  — 
you  have  been  brought  to  pause;  and  how  time  alone  and 
scope,  perhaps  denied  you  here,  are  needed  to  fulness  of 
29  449 


LETTERS,    1857-1870 

spiritual  power,  and  to  the  attainment  of  those  supreme  ends 
whicli  would  never  be  ideally  given  us  except  as  steps  and 
incitements  to  their  realisation.  Rightly  to  appreciate  the 
measure  of  our  spiritual  nature  is  to  discern  at  once  the  pro- 
spective attitude  of  life,  and  see  in  it  but  the  first  act  of  a 
larger  drama.  What  its  ulterior  scenes  may  have  in  store  for 
us,  it  were  presumptuous  to  surmise,  beyond  simply  this :  — 
that  the  broken  thread  of  our  personal  existence  will  be  taken 
up,  and  the  continuity  of  faculty  and  discipline  renewed. 
Here  we  have  been  called,  by  secret  insight  and  irrepressible 
aspiration,  to  resist  external  tyrannies,  to  work  out  our  best 
thoughts,  to  make,  in  our  small  measure,  a  divine  poem  of 
our  life.  But,  ere  we  have  gone  far, — with  only  a  few  stanzas 
which  we  meant  to  revise  and  sweeten,  —  the  moulding  hand 
is  struck  down,  and  the  fragment  stops  in  the  middle  of  a  hne. 
When  we  wake  to  it  again  with  brighter  thought,  it  must 
surely  be  to  weave  it  on  whence  it  was  left  off ;  to  carry  out 
its  pervading  idea,  with  the  same  intellectual  materials,  and 
the  same  lights  and  shadows  of  love,  and  to  give  it  movement 
amid  the  same  personal  relations,  which  supply  its  actions 
and  make  music  of  its  rhythm  here.  In  short,  a  soul  that  is 
the  same  must  have  a  life  that  is  the  same,  and  over  no 
thought  that  is  true,  no  affection  that  is  pure,  no  piety  that  is 
trustful,  can  Death  have  any  power.  Though  we  know  no 
more,  here  let  us  rest.  Often,  —  as  even  the  unsuffering 
find,  —  the  love  of  God  is  hid,  —  passes  behind  the  cloud  and 
leaves  us  with  a  cold  shudder  of  alarm,  as  if  it  were  not 
there.  But  the  Divine  realities  do  not  depend  on  our  appre- 
hension of  them ;  the  eclipse  of  our  vision  makes  no  differ- 
ence to  their  shining,  except  to  us.  The  Infinite  Love  abides 
behind,  and  waits  till  we  return  to  it,  and  the  intercepting  veil 
falls  away.  At  times,  I  think,  when  the  mists  of  fear  and 
distrust  gather  round  the  heart,  it  is  even  better  to  forget 
Him  till  He  finds  us  again,  and  say :  "  I  will  possess  my  soul 
in  patience,"  than  to  accuse  either  Him  or  oneself  of  deserting 
a  relation  which  is  suspended,  it  may  be,  only  to  be  more 
closely  bound.  I  can  say  no  more,  and  this  is  nothing.  Faint 
on,  dear  friend ;  if  the  cross  is  heavy,  it  is  not  far  to  Calvary, 
and  then  the  sacrifice  is  soon  complete. 

Ever  with  true  sympathy,  yours, 

James  Martineau. 


450 


TO   MR.  HENRY   SIDGWICK 


TO   MR.   HENRY   SIDGWICK.i 

lo  Gordon  Street,  W.  C,  March  i8,  1S70. 

My  dear  Mr.  Sidgwick,  —  I  have  read  and  re-read  your 
Essay  with  the  greatest  interest,  and  think  it  impossible  that 
a  difficult  question  of  casuistry  should  be  more  subtly  or  more 
fairly  argued.  The  pamphlet  will  assuredly  give,  from  an 
interior  and  sympathising  point  of  view,  true  direction  to 
many  perplexed  consciences  among  the  clergy,  and  valuable 
suggestions  of  reform  to  laymen  who  are  in  earnest  in  eccle- 
siastical affairs.  I  cannot  conceive  that  our  Committee  will 
have  a  moment's  hesitation  in  thankfully  adopting  it. 

In  proportion,  however,  to  your  success  in  proving  the  in- 
compatibility of  a  fixed  liturgy  with  an  unrelaxed  clerical 
sincerity,  is  my  doubt  whether  the  former  is  worth  retaining 
at  the  cost  of  the  latter ;  and  I  confess  I  have  never  felt  so 
shaken  in  my  nationalism  as  by  your  paper.  No  reasoning  — 
though  I  own  its  force  —  avails  to  take  away  my  sense  of 
guilt  from  recited  prayers  which  I  do  not  pray ;  nor  can  I 
help  feeling  that  a  service  inevitably  involving  this  condition 
is  self-condemned.  The  free  prayer  of  Scotland  and  the  Con- 
tinental Protestant  churches  escapes  this  difficulty,  but  affords 
no  protection  to  the  congregation  against  the  idiosyncrasies 
of  the  minister.  I  would  rather  forego,  however,  doctrinal 
protection  than  ministerial  sincerity.  Without  absolute  trust 
in  the  pure  earnestness  of  their  prophets,  the  people  will  be 
unsusceptible  of  religious  impression  from  their  ministrations. 
And  hence  in  part,  and  not  only  from  fear  of  ecclesiastical 
consequences,  arises  the  suppression  of  clerical  free  thought. 
If  your  rule  of  frank  confession  of  divergence  were  acted  on, 
the  gain  to  the  conscience  of  the  teacher  would  be  counter- 
vailed, I  think,  by  inevitable  forfeiture  of  religious  power. 
The  sacrifice  incurred  for  the  sake  of  Nationalism  would 
drive  all  the  popular  fervour  and  much  of  the  spiritual  purity 
of  the  country  into  voluntary'  organisations,  which,  at  least 
for  a  time,  would  give  them  freer  scope  and  firmer  trust. 
Published  Casuistry  must  —  from  the  very  nature  of  religion 
—  be  the  ruin  of  any  Church.  It  cannot  cease  to  be  the  clergy- 
man's instinct  to  conceal  his  theological  struggles,  if  he  has 
them.    If  he  avows  them,  he  may  be  a  helper  of  thought,  and 

^  This  letter  apparently  refers  to  the  manuscript  of  Mr.  Sidgwick's  essay  on 
"The  Ethics  of  Conformity  and  Subscription,"  published  by  the  Free  Christian 
Union.     For  that  reason  it  is  printed  here,  notwithstanding  its  date. 


LETTERS,   1 857-1 870 

a  chock  on  fanaticism  and  intolerance,  and  may  render  a  thou- 
sand uscfnl  services;  but  his  normal  function  can  hardly  fail 
to  be  impaired. 

I  am  not  quite  sure,  however,  that  the  deviations  of  indi- 
vidual opinion  from  the  prescribed  standards  of  worship  need 
be  so  sensible  as  you  suppose.  If  the  common  liturgical  basis 
is  reduced  to  the  simple  g-round-work  of  Christian  Theism, 
and  if  then  provision  is  made  for  the  filling-in  of  this  outline 
by  supplementary  elements,  changeable  with  place  and  time, 
it  would  seem  not  impossible  to  meet  a  wide  variety  of  wants, 
without  opi^ressing  any  conscience  which  feels  the  need  of 
worship  at  all.  I  fear  it  is  too  late  for  such  a  revolution. 
But  unless  the  picture  be  drawn,  the  chance  of  its  realisation 
is  thrown  away. 


TO   REV.   J.    II.   THOM. 

10  Gordon  Street,  Dec.  5,  1857. 

I  heard  Maurice  for  the  first  time  last  Sunday,  and  was 
astonished  at  the  pozvcr  of  his  preaching.  I  always  imagined 
that  the  Sermon  was  the  least  part  of  the  interest  in  the  ser- 
vices of  Lincoln's  Inn  Chapel  and  was '  somewhat  faint  in 
manner  and  difficult  to  seize.  But  we  heard  a  broad,  distinct, 
and  vigorous  sermon,  direct  in  its  doctrine  and  solemn  in  its 
applications,  on  the  perpetual  advent  of  the  Son  of  God  (it 
was  Advent  Sunday)  for  the  continuous  redemption  and  con- 
tinuous judgment  of  humanity  in  its  conscious  relations  to  a 
Holy  God.  But  for  a  slight  remnant  of  Church  monotony, 
there  would  be  nothing  to  remark  in  his  manner  but  its  earnest 
simplicity.    I  dare  say,  however,  you  have  often  heard  him. 

I  find  my  work  at  present  extremely  severe,  involving  longer 
and  later  hours  and  a  more  constant  strain  than  I  have  ever 
known.  But  I  am  well  and  hopeful  and  time  will  somewhat 
relieve  the  stress. 

10  Gordon  Street,  Gordon  Square,  London,  W.  C, 
Jan.  30,  1858. 

Have  you  seen  F.  W.  Newman's  curious  new  book  — 
"Theism"?  If  not,  you  must  get  it  and  read  it;  though 
its  form,  I  suspect,  will  annoy  you  not  less  than  it  does  me. 
I  tried  hard  to  persuade  him  out  of  it,  and  speak  to  us  in 
his  beautiful  prose;    but  nothing  can  move  him  from  these 

452 


TO    REV.  J.  H.  THOM 

eccentric  fancies.  Beneath  the  form,  however,  there  lies  great 
depth  and  beauty  of  truth,  exhibited  often  through  a  medium 
of  most  lucid  exposition.  To  the  one  half  of  the  great  reli- 
gious problem  of  our  age  —  the  historical  revelation  of  God 
—  he  turns  still  a  blind  side.  The  other  half  —  the  carrying 
of  our  cardinal  faiths  home  to  their  seats  in  human  nature 
and  finding  their  justification  and  meaning  there  —  he  ap- 
pears to  me  often  to  touch  with  a  hand  of  masterly  experi- 
ence. The  piece  "  God  in  Conscience  "  impresses  me  deeply 
as  a  powerful  exposition.  But  the  curious  intertwining,  as 
it  were,  of  logical  intellect  with  tender  affections  and  fine 
conscience,  mediated  and  harmonised  by  no  ideality  to  blend 
the  whole  into  one  pattern,  is  more  apparent  in  this  book  than 
in  any  of  his  former  ones.  Frankly  he  seems  to  me  to  be 
purer  and  more  winning  every  year. 

10  Gordon  Street,  London,  W.  C,  Dec.  31,  1859. 

I  owe  you  thanks,  dear  friend,  that  cannot  be  paid,  for  your 
precious  volume  recently  published.^  I  have  yet  to  read  the 
last  two  sermons.  But  the  others  speak,  to  my  apprehension 
and  sympathies,  the  deepest  essence  of  our  religion,  in  tones 
at  once  most  wise  and  beautiful.  I  wish  I  could  believe  that 
they  would  meet  response  as  complete  as  they  ought  to  find 
among  our  people.  But  upon  many  minds  outside,  and  cer- 
tainly not  a  few  within  our  churches,  their  impression  will  be 
deep  and  strong. 


1  "  The  Revelation  of  God  and  Man  in  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  Man." 


453 


